The White Mystic
by Alley.cat25
Summary: Kay is the lead singer of another popular band, Half Breed. A chance encounter with a member of Dethklok has her head spinning as events unforeseen unravel. A portion of a prophecy comes into light as the situation changes. But could this all be for the better? And what exactly is 'The White Mystic' PicklesxOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do **_not_** own the characters of the show Metalocalypse. The characters in this story that are **_not_** part of the show are of my own.

Summary: Kay is the lead singer of another popular band, Half Breed. A chance encounter has her head spinning as events unforeseen unravel. A portion of a prophecy comes into light, as the situation changes. But could this all be for the better? And what exactly is 'The White Mystic?'

* * *

Ch.1

Kay took a drag of her cigarette, inhaling the smoke deep in her lungs, and breathed out, trying to exhale all her stress and worry. She stamped out the cherry in the ashtray and stood up from the table out front of the coffee shop she had stopped at. Kay looked back at the table she was leaving to make sure she had everything with her, and then felt herself run into a person. She squeaked from shock and bounced back from the body.

"I'm so sorry," she proclaimed to the person.

"'Ey, sorry," the person Kay ran into replied back, a thick north-western accent heavy on their voice.

Kay looked up at the person, seeing sneakers and black jeans, then a black sleeveless shirt over the skinny person. Red hair in long dreadlocks over the shoulders and back. She finally looked up at the face and realized who she had run into.

"Oh my," Kay began. "You're Pickles, from Dethklok."

"Yeah…" he replied melancholy. Kay realized she might have hit a sore subject, given that Dethklok had just given a public announcement that they were disbanding just the other day. "What's your name?"

"Kay," she replied. "Umm…" she began, reaching for something to soothe the subject. "I'm sorry I ran into you, wasn't paying attention. Let me buy you a cup of coffee," she offered with a small smile. The drummer of the most popular band in the world looked her in the eye and smirked.

"Sure," he accepted. "I'll take a coffee." Kay waved a finger to him, to signal to wait a moment, as she went back into the coffee shop and ordered two more coffees.

With her hands and arms full, she walked back outside and was happy to note that Pickles hadn't left. As she handed him one of the cups, her notebook that had been clutched in her arms slipped and fell open on the ground. Pickles bent down and picked up the book, peering inside.

"What's this?" he asked as he started reading the contents inside. Kay felt a groan deep in her throat and her face flush a little.

"It's nothing," she said, hoping that he would just hand back the notebook.

"Wait, wait, wait," he stopped Kay as she tried to reach for the notebook. "Are these song lyrics?"

Kay sighed and bent her head to the ground. She set her stuff back on the table she had used not too long ago, and the drummer sat down across from her.

"Yes," she proclaimed. "Those are lyrics. I'm in a band."

Pickles closed the notebook and handed it back, taking his cup of coffee and drinking some of it. Kay took the notebook back and pulled out her pack of cigarettes. She took my initial drag of it and held her breath for a bit, enjoying the calming effect the small stick had.

"Those lyrics weren't bad," Pickles complimented.

Kay's eyes shot up to him instantly, almost disbelieving the comment she heard. She felt her heart give a sharp pound in her chest and instantly go back to its steady rhythm.

"Oh, thanks," she said, her voice sounding flustered. "I Gotta say, I was not expecting anyone to read those. Those were going to get scrapped."

"Oh?" Pickles questioned. "Why's that?"

Kay giggled, taking a small drag of the cigarette.

"I'm just trying to figure out some things. I find that if I write, I clear my mind better."

"Well, what's wrong?" he asked, catching Kay off guard. She blinked a few times at him, dumbfounded at his curiosity. Every time any of the band members of Dethklok were interviewed, it seemed that they were only interested in themselves, and not others.

"Well," she started. "My drummer is sick. Doctor's orders; she's not to leave the bed for anything. But we're supposed to be recording our new album. If we don't find someone to fill in, we're going to miss our deadline."

"Jeez, that sucks," Pickles said, drinking his coffee. As Kay watched him drink, she got a wild hair and decided to run with it.

"Hey, if you're not busy, would you be willing to fill in?" she asked, leaning forward across the table. "It would only be a couple of songs, to get us back on track."

Pickles put his drink back down on the table and rolled his eyes around, thinking of Kay's offer.

"Well, I don't know," he said.

"We've got the songs laid out already. We just need to do a whole run through. And given that you're one of the best drummers alive, it should be a piece of cake." she said, trying to stroke his ego a little in hopes that it would work.

"What do I get outta this?" he asked.

"Whatever you want," Kay said. "You'll be given credit on the album. And if its money you want, I'll write a check."

"Booze?" he asked.

"Booze?" she repeated in kind. "If you want to drink, then I can get you anything."

"Sure, I'll help ya out," Pickles responded with a smirk.

Kay squealed in excitement, jumping up from her seat and running over to him, giving him a hug where he sat.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I really appreciate this."

"No problem. So, when do you need me to play?" he asked.

"Well, I was actually on my way to meet up with the girls. If you want, you can come with me now and we can get started."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Pickles stood from the chair and began walking with Kay down the streets. While they walked, he motioned to her cigarette for one himself. She happily obliged, handing him a stick and lighting it.

"So," Kay began, curiosity getting the better of her. "It's true? Dethklok is breaking up?"

Pickles took a long drag of the cigarette, looking down at the ground and began shuffling his feet. Slowly, he exhaled the smoke, never looking up, and took a deep breathe.

"Yeah, we're done. It's over."

"What happened?" she asked. "You guys seemed closer than any other band I've seen. You're music is great, too."

"Well, I just got tired. It's just time."

Kay nodded in understanding.

"So, I hear you're going into wine production?" she asked for clarification.

"Yeah," he responded melancholy. "I'm havin' some issues though. I was takin' a walk to think."

"I see. Well, I hope the wine goes well. I'll definitely get some when it goes on sale." Kay looked over at Pickles and smiled. He finally looked up to her and smirked back.

They reached the studio that Kay and her band used and went in. On the outside the building looked like the Victorian style houses seen in San Francisco, and there were others around this building that looked the same. But the interior of the studio had been renovated to serve fully as a recording studio and a practice area.

Around the sound board sat three of the band members. They were talking amongst themselves, most likely their recent concerns about falling behind schedule. They quieted down and turned to the newcomers when they heard the door open and close at their arrival. Then, they grew completely silent as they saw that Kay had company with her. She looked at her three band mates and saw them look at her, then to Pickles, then back to her, and back to Pickles, and so forth. Kay rolled my eyes at them.

"Hey girls," she said to them.

The tallest girl, a dirty blonde with a short bob hairstyle, brown eyes, and a tomboyish disposition stood up tall from leaning against the soundboard and looked at Kay fully.

"Kay," the tomboy began. "Is this…" she trailed off.

Kay sighed. "Yes, this is Pickles, the drummer of Dethklok. And it's good to see you Amara. My coffee break was nice, thank you for asking," she joked sarcastically. "Pickles, these are some of my band members. This is Amara," she motioned to the tomboy who smirked back at them. "That's Maggie," she motioned to a girl with straight black hair that fell to her shoulders and grey eyes. Maggie sat in the chair in front of the soundboard, but twirled around in her chair to look at them. "And that's Trista," Kay motioned to a tall girl with hair as black as Maggie's, but with a blue undertone, that reached past her hips, and green eyes. Trista smiled sweetly over to Kay and waved to Pickles.

"Hey guys," Pickles waved back.

"Did you take out an ad for a backup drummer?" Maggie snarkily asked. Kay rolled her eyes at Maggie.

"I ran into him while I was at the coffee shop," she explained. "Literally."

"Literally?" Trista questioned. Kay sighed.

"Yes. I ran into him as I was walking away. But, he said he would help us with our music!" Kay proclaimed excitedly.

Amara nodded her head in understanding, not smiling, but not scowling. Trista beamed happily and giggled. Maggie just sat in her chair by the soundboard. Kay saw Maggie reach up and flip the switch to the soundboard on. It was the only indication that she was accepting of these turn of events.

Kay motioned for Pickles to follow her as the girls got the recording room setup. The two walked over to the practice area and Kay explained the music to him a bit.

"Now, I know you're used to playing death metal, but we're not a death metal band, so not too heavy on the drums. The girls and I will play some stuff so you can get an idea."

Pickles just nodded to her, but she had a feeling he didn't quite understand. Kay giggled and got up real quick, going over and grabbing a disk. She played the disk in a player that was nearby and let Pickles take in the sound. After a couple songs were finished, she looked at Pickles to see if he was still up for helping.

"So?" she asked. He had this pondering look in his eyes, like he was trying to figure something out, and it was just out of reach.

"It sounds… familiar," he said slowly.

Kay shot up straight. She was almost afraid of him finding out why the songs she played sounded familiar. Just then, Amara walked up to them, a pair of drum sticks in her hand.

"I'll show him what to play," she said coolly. Amara and Pickles walked over to the drum set and began getting familiar with the songs they would be playing.

Kay walked over to Trista and Maggie, who were by the soundboard. Trista had her guitar in her hands and she tuned it as she looked at Kay and smiled. Kay looked at Maggie and saw that she was now smirking.

"So, you literally ran into him," Maggie said, skeptically. Kay sighed and rolled her eyes. Both Maggie and Trista laughed. On the other end of the room they heard the tapping of the drums being played as Amara played out the drum beats.

Kay took the time to warm up her vocal chords, loosening them up, and to get her body over the jitters she realized she had. She did a few scales, and shook her arms and legs, rolling her head around to ease the tight muscles under her skin. Kay did a few more vocal exercises, trying to focus on getting these few songs done, and not worry about a mega star a few scant yards away, willing to play the drums for their music. And for some reason, that thought made the butterflies in her stomach rouse from their sleep. She tried to push everything from her mind. She knew that the moment they went into the room and the music started, she would be able to focus solely on the songs.

After a bit of time, Amara and Pickles came back to the rest.

"He's got the basics," Amara explained. "It'll fully click when he hears the rest of the music." They all nodded their heads to each other, moving to set up the sound room.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2

"_Your eyes stare into my soul_

_I feel a force surrounding us_

_Fate pushing us together_

_We cannot deny_

_Our serenity_

_I need it so_

_Our serenity_

_Please stay by my side_

_Our serenity_

_You and I, there was no other_

_No matter the treacherous world outside_

_The serenity of your eyes will take over_

_All my latent fears will disappear_

_If only we let fate decide_

_Our serenity_

_I need it so_

_Our serenity_

_Please stay by my side_

_Our serenity_

_You and I, there was no other_

_My mind twists and turns_

_But still you are there_

_The test of our bond pushed to the limit_

_And still you endure_

_Our serenity_

_I need it so_

_Our serenity_

_Please stay by my side_

_Our serenity_

_You and I, there was no other_

_You and I_

_You were always by my side_

_You are my serenity"_

The sweet melody of hard rock filled the room as the lyrics poured, not from Kay's mind, but from her heart, becoming eternal on track. As the song ended, she opened her eyes for the first time since the drums began beating, and looked around the sound room. The only one not in the sound room was Maggie, who was manning the soundboard. Amara stood to Kay's right and smiled fully at her. Trista was to Kay's left with a similar expression. Kay turned around to the drums and saw that their guest drummer had a hard time thinking.

Pickles sat on the stool, mouth gapped open, his hands still holding the sticks above the drums. He blinked a few times, and slowly managed to close his mouth. He shook his head and got out of his reverie.

"Whoa," he muttered to himself. The girls began laughing.

A few moments later, Trista strummed her guitar and began playing a dark riff. Pickles began beating out the rhythm, and Amara filled the void with her bass. Kay swayed to the music, closing her eyes again, letting the sound of each note tapped and plucked enter her body and take her to a new world. She vaguely remembered picking the microphone up and opening her mouth as the lyrics of pain and insanity washed over her vocal chords. She only felt the sway of her body to the beat of the music as she danced silently in place, only knowing the emotions ripping from within her body twined with the lyrics sung.

As before, when the song ended, Kay opened my eyes and looked around at the band. Amara nodded in approval, Trista just smiled, and Pickles was once again speechless with his mouth open wide.

"Let's take five," Maggie said to them over the speakers. They all nodded to her and left the room. Maggie grabbed some water for everyone and they sat around the soundboard and listened to what had been recorded.

After listening to the songs, the girls talked between themselves about the quality and what could be done to make it better. Kay walked over to Pickles and sat down next to him.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, hoping for a sincere answer.

"I think…" Pickles trailed off. "I think I know who you are." This caused Kay to turn fully to him and raise an eyebrow. "You're Half Breed," he answered her unspoken question. Kay felt her heart pounding again.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Dude! You were the biggest band around!" Pickles proclaimed. Kay smiled and laughed.

It only brought up memories of the past. For years, the girls were on top with record sales and produced hit after hit. They were wanted everywhere. Music legends. But then came the day they dropped from the number one spot. They didn't disappear from the charts at all. But with the emergence of Dethklok, all other bands might as well have packed their bags and gone home. The girls had sat in the living room of Kay's house and saw as this new death metal band instantly became the new number one band. And they watched as they slipped down to the number two spot.

It wasn't the end of the world for Half Breed though. They still produced music and still had fans. The girls were fortunate that most, if not all, of Dethklok's fans were Half Breed fans as well. Kay couldn't speak for the rest of the band, but she knew she was a fan of Dethklok. So she could hold no grudge against them. Kay knew it was the nature of the business.

"Well, we are still big," she said. "But you guys are the number one band right now."

"Not anymore," Pickles said remorsefully. "You're voice, it's really nice. How'd you get it like that?" Pickles asked. "It's like an angel's voice."

Her face flushed.

"Well, I've always had this gift for music. I've always sang, and playing instruments was simple."

"I don't listen to a lot of other bands, other than Snakes N' Barrels and Dethklok, but Half Breed was one I listened to the most."

Pickles' admission warmed Kay's heart. But it didn't stop it from pounding. She didn't understand why her heart wasn't cooperating with her. She could only assume that even though Half Breed was famous, they never really met many celebrities, so it was surreal meeting a star as big as Pickles the Drummer of Dethklok.

"Well," Pickles began. "It's cool to meet another band as cool as Dethklok." Kay smiled in return.

"It's awesome to finally meet Dethklok."

Pickles left at the end of the day, but the girls stayed at the studio. They talked about the songs, played them and changed things here and there that they felt needed changing. Hours went by and Maggie and Amara fell asleep on the sofas. Trista and Kay stayed awake, munching on leftovers from dinner.

"So, it was a total fluke that you happen to bump into one of the world's greatest drummers?" Trista asked, chewing on a piece of beef.

"Yes," Kay laughed. "Why don't you all believe me?"

"Well, it's just kinda hard to believe."

"I like to think of these kinds of cases as fate," Kay said. "In our time of need, with our drummer sick, I happen to run into Dethklok's drummer who is leaving his band, and I get the courage to ask him to help."

"How much?"

"How much what?" Kay asked back.

"How much are you paying him to help?" Trista clarified. Kay laughed.

"I told him I'd get him anything he wanted. He asked for booze."

Trista hit her head on the table and laughed.

"Yeah, that's totally fate," sarcasm laced Kay's best friend's voice. They both laughed.

"Yep, we're all ready," Kay said into the phone. "Just come on over. Alright. Bye." She pocketed her phone after the call, smiling bright as she walked into the coffee shop. She ordered coffee for everyone and arrived back at the studio with no problems.

As she entered the studio, the girls were playing around, playing some of their older songs. Kay laughed as she began dancing to the beat of the music, handing the girls their coffee. They drank their coffee and Kay twirled around to the music, singing the songs, not really taking it seriously, only wanting to have some fun.

When she turned around, still dancing and singing, she saw the curios look and a playful smirk watching her. Pickles had finally arrived and was standing in the middle of the room with his arms across his chest, smirking as he watched Kay dance and sing. The girls laughed even louder and she stopped dancing and singing, laughing herself. Kay grabbed the untouched coffee from the table and handed it to Pickles, who drank it as soon as he held the drink.

The girls began to warm up their vocals. Pickles was a little confused, but went along with it. Kay could tell the girls were impressed that Pickles could sing, but it was easy to forget that he used to be the front-man of another band before Dethklok. Soon after, they entered the sound room. Maggie came over the speakers and told them to do some improv singing, then segway into the actual songs.

As the strumming of the bass and guitar began, Kay closed her eyes and opened her mouth, not singing any words, but letting her voice carry over. Soon after, Pickles picked up the cues and started the random jam.

All too soon it felt, the music ended. The unbearable silence permeated the space, and Kay opened her eyes. Maggie was sitting behind the soundboard as usual, clapping her hands and smiling at Kay. She smiled at Maggie, and they left the sound room.

"Lunch break," Trista rang out. Amara and Maggie muttered agreements.

"I'll get lunch," Kay said. At the girls' approval, she walked to the front door and left the studio.

"'Ey, wait for me!" Kay heard Pickles call after her. He jogged up to her and smirked. "I'll join ya." At Kay's nod and smile, the two walked down the street into town for food.

"So, what's with the 'everybody sings' deal earlier?" Pickles asked. Kay giggled.

"As a band, we make it a point to know all the parts. It promotes unity and knowledge and whatnot," she explained nonchalantly. "That way, we can give advice to make the song better, or change something around if it doesn't feel right." Pickles mulled over the information for a bit.

"Okay. So, why don't you order your servants to get you food?" He asked. Kay stared at him, confusion clear on her face. "What? You don't have servants?"

Kay just shook her head at him.

"No, we don't. We're not helpless. It keeps us motivated when we stay on the move, and keeps our energy up. Besides, it gives me time to reflect and think about what we've recently done."

Pickles nodded. Kay wasn't sure if he understood what she meant, or if he just wanted to drop the subject. They were shortly in the middle of town at that point. Kay picked out a café and went in, ordering a big meal for all five.

Kay had the slightest feeling that they were being watched, but when she looked around casually, no one was looking in their direction. She pushed the feeling out and waited on the food with Pickles. They talked about random things, not really giving much thought to the conversation at the point.

The food was finally ready and they headed back to the studio where the girls waited hungrily. As soon as Kay and Pickles walked through the door, Trista was right on top of Kay, grabbing at the food, which made Kay fall back into Pickles. As they all settled down on the couches, they ate the food and made idle chit-chat.

The rest of the day seemed to go by too fast, but it was filled with laughter and the band seemed to have a great time. They finished the concept of the last song of the day in no time, and they walked out of the sound room with confidence. Amara, Pickles, Trista, and Kay sat on the couches talking with the TV on in the background. Maggie sat at the soundboard, listening to what had been recorded that day.

_"In today's news, there seems to be romance in the air as we catch glimpses of Dethklok's drummer, Pickles, with a new, young lady."_

The room got quiet as the host of Dethklok Minute began his segment of the day. All of them, minus Maggie, stared blankly at the screen. On the screen behind the host was a picture of Kay and Pickles waiting in the café earlier today. Of course, the shot had to be a perfect shot of her smiling up at the drummer and him smirking down at her.

"Fuck," Kay muttered.

_"Who is this new mystery woman in the drummer's life? It seems that the allegations of a band break-up have only pushed Pickles into the social world. And what of his venture in the wine industry? The day of the wine premier is fast approaching. Let's hope we can get answers to these questions soon. That's all for today's Dethklok Minute!"_

"Umm…" Trista spoke, trying to find words that Kay knew escaped her. Kay's head fell into her hands.

"I thought I felt eyes on us," she muttered.

"This isn't good," Amara muttered.

Kay looked over at Pickles, whose mouth was dropped open, and could fall to the ground at any second. Obviously, he was stunned speechless. Kay sighed and rolled her head back. She heard rustling to her side and knew that Maggie had turned around to them.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Someone took pics of me and Pickles when we went to get lunch today," Kay moaned in response.

"Oooh…"

"What are we going to do?" Trista asked.

"I don't know," Kay whispered as she stood up from the couch. She walked outside and pulled out her pack of cigarettes and her lighter. As she lit her cigarette and took her first drag, staring into the sky of the setting sun, the door to the studio opened and Pickles came out. He held out his hand and Kay obliged in giving him a cigarette. She lit his with the cherry of her own, and the two stood silently for a while, leaning against the wall and calming their nerves.

"This ain't too bad," Pickles spoke up, commenting on the Dethklok Minute segment. Kay looked over at him with disbelieving eyes and an arched eyebrow. "What?" he responded to her stare. "How is this bad?"

Kay sighed, lowering her head to the ground.

"Half Breed wears masks on stage and in interviews," she explained, reminding him of the band's gimmick. "We go by code names. Only once have we taken off our masks, and that was about a year ago when we were promoting our last album."

"So, what? You don't want anyone to see you with me?" he asked. Kay sighed in response.

"Well, it could be bad for publicity. If people make the connection between me in that picture, and figure out who I am, they could think that Half Breed is being desperate for airtime."

Pickles' phone began to ring in that moment. Pickles answered and Kay heard a few different voices yelling over the line. She assumed the voices belonged to the rest of Dethklok. Pickles talked to the people on the phone, saying that there was a mistake and he can explain what was going on.

Kay smoked her cigarette calmly while he talked. Her nerves wouldn't settle, no matter how many puffs she took. She tried to see the humor of having to hear Pickles constantly repeat "She's not my girl" to the people on the phone. But all she could think about was the pounding of her heart and the flutter of her stomach.

Just the day before, Kay bumped into the man with dreads and built up the courage to ask him to help. And he figured out that they were Half Breed. Now, there are rumors of a secret affair in the midst of Dethklok's statement of disbanding. It all made her head spin.

She heard the click of Pickles' phone ending the call, and looked up to see him staring blankly at the ground.

"Wanna get drunk?" she offered to him. That offer immediately got his head up and his eyes brighten. Kay smiled and walked inside the studio, grabbing her wallet off the table and taking her ID and credit card out. She grabbed her phone and slid it into her pocket.

"What are you doing?" Amara asked, watching Kay.

"Something stupid," Kay responded smiling up at Amara. She turned around in a heartbeat and dashed out the door, grabbing Pickles' arm and running down the block with him before the girls could stop them.

Kay and Pickles cheered and laughed as another round of drinks was set down in front of them. They both still hadn't finished the current ones in their hands. But that was a perk of being friends with the owner of the bar they were in. Pickles was no stranger in a bar, as it turned out, even though he had never been in this one.

The Sly Fox was the name of the bar Kay frequented, and Pickles scoffed at it, saying that it sounded like some "yuppy Brit joint." The bar was anything but "yuppy," with patrons from all walks of life wandering around. She had challenged Pickles to darts and decimated him, only to find out that he became increasingly better the more intoxicated he was. And she was perfectly fine with it. This was the bar a person goes to in order to let loose and not be found.

Kay gulped the last dregs of her rum and coke and picked up the new drink, lifting it high in a toast to Pickles. He, in turn, lifted his new beer. They chugged the drinks, not being able to get enough. Kay slammed her empty glass on the table.

"Kale!" she called out to the owner of the bar, and her friend. "I need another!"

Right then, Pickles slammed his beer mug on the table and gasped for air.

"Not fair," he slurred to Kay. "I's gotta…" he hiccupped, "Drinks more…" Kay laughed at him.

"No," she cooed to the swaying drummer. "Kale makes my drinks stronger." she giggled to no one in particular. She could really feel the alcohol swimming in her veins. "I drank more than you," Kay needled to Pickles. He glared, sitting up straight, taking it as a challenge.

"Give me what she's getting!" He yelled over to Kale.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kay saw as Kale just shook his head, cleaning a glass, and began preparing the drinks. Kale dealt with her drunken state and the friends she brought with because he knew he would be paid well, and tipped well.

Kay turned her attention fully on Pickles, vaguely noticing that everything around the drummer eyeing her down was blurring.

"First to finish wins," she challenged.

"You're on," Pickles easily accepted.

Kale set the drinks down in front of them almost immediately and walked back to behind the bar. Pickles and Kay lifted their drinks simultaneously, and stared each other in the eyes. Then, together, they lifted the glasses up and began chugging the strong ambrosia as fast as they could. Kay slammed her glass down on the table first and threw her arms up in the air in victory. Pickles was right behind her, but groaned in defeat.

"How the fuck?" He exclaimed. Kay laughed hard, swaying in her seat.

"Rough childhood," she slurred, smiling at the feel of the soothing buzz overtaking her mind. She felt light as air, and so calm.

Kale came back over to the table and knelt down next to them. He came with no drink, which made Kay pout at him. Kale ignored it.

"Are you two good?" He asked

"Yep," Pickles and Kay chimed in together. Kale shook his head, stood up and walked over to the bar where he picked up two more tall glasses and placed them in front of Kay and the drummer. Kale then disappeared into the back.

For a while longer, she and Pickles drank casually together, not really saying anything, but laughing at everything. They barely noticed that people were leaving the bar and Kale was shutting everything down. When the bar was only filled with Kale, Pickles, and herself, Kale came up to them and gently lifted them from their chairs. He draped an arm over his shoulders as he dragged Kay and Pickles into the back. In one of the back rooms, Kale set up a bed. Kay knew what was going to happen, since this wasn't the first time she wanted to drink herself stupid. Kale laid the two down on the bed and half covered them with blankets. He didn't bother taking their shoes off, he knew they would be able to do it themselves if they really wanted.

Kale left the backroom and went into his office, where Kay knew he had a bed set up for himself. Kale would stay at the bar tonight to watch over them, and take them back home in the morning. He knew better than to call the girls to come get Kay.

Pickles and Kay moaned and groaned as they tried to get comfortable on the cot. The cot was the size of a full sized mattress. They fit comfortably in the bed, but there was no extra room. Kay wiggled around in the bed as she kicked off her shoes without using her hands.

"So how'd you," Pickles hiccupped as he began talking to her, full of slurs. "Find this place?" Pickles rolled his head around and looked at Kay, his eyes barely open, and she could see he was struggling to keep them open.

"Kale's a friend of mine from when we were kids," she slurred back. "When my parents died, I ran away. Found a gang. Kale took care of me."

"Dude, you were in a gang?"

Kay smiled and nodded her head. Pickles eyes managed to open wide for a brief second.

"Totally don't look like a girl in a gang," he said. Kay laughed a little.

"It was a long time ago. I was real young. And I got out a few years later. Kale came with me."

Kay's mind went numb. She couldn't think anymore, and she couldn't talk. Pickles ended up falling asleep instantly, and she listened to him snore for a bit before she, too, fell into a deep sleep.

Her dreams were filled with blood and the screams of the people she loved the most. The gravestones of her family were always in the scenes of her dreams. She remembered the forest where her parents fell, the street where her brother collapsed. Kale stood above her, holding a hand out to lift her from the ground. The dark haze that clung to them for the years they spent in the gang. The girls came and helped release them from the despair. Their smiles and laughter filled her dreams with light. A gentle warmth began to surround Kay as the gravestones of her family slowly disappeared, replaced by a new face. Soft skin, a smirk, a red circle beard surrounded the smirk, nice green eyes, and the matching red dreads all came into view. She felt like she could even smell his scent, and it wasn't unpleasant.

Kay's eyes slowly opened and she realized she was pushed up against an object in black. She blinked a few times and looked up. Pickles was laying on his back, mouth wide open snoring, an arm over her head. She felt her face flush and she rolled away, slowly sitting up in the bed. Kay realized then that the warmth in her dreams was her rolling over to Pickles and 'cuddling' him. She smiled, glad that he hadn't woken up first.

She stood from the bed and put her shoes on, silently slipping out of the room and into the main bar area. She smelled strong black coffee and looked over to behind the bar. Kale was standing there, wiping the counter down as the coffee pot trickled the strong heaven in liquid form. Kay sat down in one of the barstools in front of Kale and laid her head down on my folded arms.

"Morning Kay," Kale spoke softly.

She grunted in response, not really able to feel her jaw move, or mouth open. She heard Kale picking up a mug and pouring the hot coffee in it, mixing in creamer and sugar exactly how she liked it. He placed the mug next to her, which got her to slowly sit back up. Slowly, Kay tested the waters and tried to open her mouth. It felt like her lips had been glued together and her tongue molded to the top of her mouth.

She assumed Kale knew what was going through her mind, since in that moment he placed a stick of chapstick next to the coffee mug. Kay grabbed the chapstick and smeared it on her lips before she picked up the coffee mug and sipped the burning liquid.

"Your new friend, that's Pickles from Dethklok, right?" Kale asked as he picked up a mug of coffee for himself.

"Yeah, it is," she rasped out, surprised at the lack of a voice. Kale smiled at Kay's confused face as she massaged her throat.

"You and he were loud," her friend explained. She nodded her head and took a sip of coffee. "What about that picture that's been circulating?"

Kay sighed and put down the coffee, lowering her head.

"He came with me when I went on a food run. That picture was a fluke," she said, slowly reclaiming her voice.

"And you two are here at my bar because?"

This only enticed a glare from Kay. The two locked eyes and stared down each other. Kay grabbed her coffee and took another sip.

"We're here because of the picture. Besides, I promised him alcohol for helping us."

"Helping?"

"Michelle's sick, and Maggie was pissed about our deadline. I ran into Pickles, literally, and asked him to help us record some tracks. He said he wanted booze for helping."

Kale nodded in understanding, leaning against the bar.

"How is Michelle?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"Amara says she's doing alright. Michelle just has no energy and is too weak to get out of bed," she said, closing her eyes. "The doctor says she's over the worst of it."

"Hmm…" Kale thought to himself. "I bet this is tearing Amara up inside, huh?" Kay smiled and giggled.

"Just a little. She's trying to keep a smile on and her spirits up. But you know Mar, she's like me, always thinks 'worst case scenario.'"

Kay and Kale heard shuffling in the hallway and looked up to see the famous drummer leaning on the doorframe, eyes half-lidded, still swaying where he stood as if he were still drunk. Kay looked at Kale, who looked at her, and they shared a knowing smile. It felt just like old times. Kay got up from the stool and walked over to Pickles, wrapping an arm around his waist and helped him to the bar, sitting him down in a chair. Kale grabbed another mug and poured black coffee in it, then placed the mug down in front of the drummer and grabbed the creamer and sugar, setting those next to the coffee mug for Pickles. Kay sat back down on her stool and took a long sip of coffee as Pickles struggled getting some sugar in the coffee.

Kale pulled out a pack of cigarettes and took three from the pack, handing one to Kay and one to Pickles, and then lit the cigarettes. Kay sat there, reveling in the rush of nicotine, feeling more at ease.

"Want me to take you to the studio?" Kale asked her.

She shook her head and ashed the cigarette.

"Nah. The girls are just gonna yell at me. That is, if they're there. They might be home."

"Then where should I drop you off?" he asked.

"I don't know. I was thinking I might just wander around."

"You could come with me," Pickles offered, throwing Kay and Kale off guard. The two looked at him dumbfounded. "Yeah, there's no paparazzi at Mordhaus. I have to get changed there. And we can just chill."

Kay shook her head in disbelief and took a quick puff of her cigarette.

"Wait, let me get this straight," she began, trying to understand the situation. "You want me to go with you to Mordhaus, potentially meet your band-mates, and hang out with you." He nodded. "Umm… why?"

"You can keep up with me," he said, motioning to the alcohol. "I have respect for you."

Kay nodded to herself in understanding, looking over at Kale who looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"Kale, still have my clothes?" she asked.

"In the dresser in the back room, as usual," he replied, pointing behind him.

She hopped down from the stool and walked into the backroom she and Pickles had slept in. Against the far wall was a small dresser that held clothes she would leave here when she stayed the night at the bar.

Kay grabbed some items out of the dresser and walked over to the mirror and finally got a good look at herself. Her usually hip-long, straight, blond hair was tousled from sleep, and half out of its bun she put it in earlier the day before. The black eyeliner surrounding her crystal blue eyes was smeared. The pale skin Kay's body was wrapped in was the only thing that looked decent. But the scent of liquor and cigarettes clung to her hair and body. She scowled at her reflection and walked out of the room and peeked her head into the bar area.

"Gonna take a shower real quick," she informed the guys, running back through the back where a small bathroom with a shower was tucked away. Kale had it installed for them when Kay would stay at the bar all night.

The knobs to the shower turned easily, and she stripped my clothes off, throwing them in the hamper next to the sink. She hopped in the shower and quickly lathered her long hair in shampoo, making sure she got every strand. After the shampoo, she squeezed a bunch of conditioner in her hair, making it feel silky smooth like it should be, massaging it into the strands, then washing it out. Kay grabbed my razor and half-heartedly shaved her legs and used a sponge to spread soap over her body, washing away the smell and grime of the day before.

In no time, she was out of the shower, and over the sink, washing off the old makeup and putting on a quick layer. It only consisted of a new layer of fresh foundation, making her face look paler, and a smooth stroke of black eyeliner circling her eyes, with a dark grey eyeshadow accenting the eyes, and a little mascara to darken the eyes.

She grabbed the new set of clothes and slid them on. A black, tight miniskirt covered her bum, and a black, bra-like tub top with a long, white mesh, long-sleeve top clung to her body. She slid on a pair of black stockings.

Kay blow-dried her hair real quick and brushed it thoroughly, pulling most of it up into a ponytail while two thick strands hung down around her face. When she left the bathroom, she went back into the backroom she slept in and grabbed a pair of black, leather heeled boots, and slipped them on. Kay looked at herself in the mirror again and smirked at the reflection that stared back. She looked different than the, now, infamous picture at the café. In the café, she was wearing torn jeans and a blood red tank-top, and her hair was up in a sloppy bun.

She walked out of the backroom and into the main bar where Kale and Pickles talked. They both saw Kay come in at the same time. Pickles mouth dropped open when he saw her. Kale just nodded at the outfit.

"You haven't worn that in a long time," he commented, the tone in his voice approving.

"I just happened to grab it from the dresser. It works out though. If we do get spotted by people, they won't recognize me," she explained.

Pickles was still silent, his mouth still open. Kay walked behind the bar and around Kale to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water within it. She guzzled down the hydrating essence of life, feeling her body instantly become more alive. On the counter near her, she saw her ID and credit card, along with an unsigned receipt. She grabbed a pen and put her signature on the paper, making sure to tip Kale well for the night before and for putting up with them. She grabbed the ID and credit card, sliding them under the tube top where they would stay put, since she had no other pockets in the outfit.

Finally, Pickles shook his head, coming out of his reverie, and smiled at Kay.

"Nice outfit," he complimented. She smiled at him in response.

The three left the bar and into Kale's car. They drove through the city and headed in the direction of Mordhaus.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Metalocalypse. Parts in this chapter were taken from the show, spoken words by some of the characters, only to follow the show in the episodes. What some of the characters say is from the show, and not my own. But it is my character hearing them being spoken. I just wanted to follow as closely as possible to the events in the show.

* * *

Ch.3

Kale drove off after Pickles and Kay exited his car. Kay stood out front, staring at Mordhaus. There was no getting over the expanse of the place. It was massive, and she knew there was even more of the place that couldn't be seen. Pickles walked forward, heading to the front door, and she followed quickly behind him.

As they walked around, Kay looked around at the surroundings, admiring the medieval architecture. They eventually came into what appeared to be the living room, and sitting on the couches, minding their own were the other members of Dethklok. She heard Pickles sigh and figured he didn't want to run into the others.

On their arrival, the others looked up and saw Pickles and Kay. The two stood there in the middle of the living room silently, and the others sat on the couches silently looking at them for a bit. Finally, Pickles decided to speak.

"Hey guys," he acknowledged the others. "This is my friend, Kay. Kay, these are the others in Dethklok."

Kay waved over to the others, a kind smile on her face. She could feel the tension in the room building with each passing second. She almost felt like running to get away from it. It made her think that Pickles was really not wanting to see the others even more.

"Hi's!" the bands rhythm guitarist, Toki greeted joyfully. "Yours that's girl froms the TV's!"

She felt my face grow hot, glad that she put on pale foundation, which helped cover the red blush she knew was on her face.

"Guess the change in looks didn't do anything," Kay said, looking over at Pickles. He just shrugged.

"Sos, you're Pickles' new girlfriends?" Skwisgaar asked, playing his guitar that wasn't hooked up to an amp.

Kay giggled. She peeked over at Pickles and saw his face grow red from embarrassment.

"No, I'm just a girl that bumped into him the other day," she explained. She was starting to get annoyed constantly reiterating the situation.

"Dids you knows Pickle befores?" Toki asked.

"No," she shook her head in response. "I ran into him at a coffee shop, and asked for his help. He agreed to help me."

"Help you with what?" Kay heard the eternal slur and lisp of the bands bassist, Murderface, ask. She sighed.

"My band," she answered.

"Okay, that's it for questions," Pickles proclaimed. "C'mon Kay, let's go." Pickles started to walk away into the hallway behind the living room, and Kay quickly followed. After a quick jaunt down a few hallways, they ended up at the doorway to a room. Pickles opened the door to reveal a bedroom, and she could only assume it was his. A strong scent of stale tobacco wafted out into the hallway. The twp walked into the room together. Kay looked around. The floor was littered with dirty clothes and empty beer bottles. The bed was completely unkempt, and even more dirty clothes lay on the bed.

"Umm… make yourself at home," Pickles told Kay. "I'm gonna take a shower real quick. Then we can figure something out." Pickles disappeared through a door in the room that Kay assumed lead to a bathroom.

She walked around the room, wondering to herself how someone could live like this for a long period of time. She admired his bedframe which she thought was very cool and fitting for the death metal Dethklok was known for. Kay saw a pack of cigarettes laying on the nightstand and picked them up. The pack was almost full.

"Hey, I'm taking one of your cigs!" she yelled to Pickles, hoping he could hear.

"Okay!" she heard his muffled voice yell back through the door and running water.

Kay took a cigarette out of the pack and lit it, looking around the room. There wasn't much, other than the bed, nightstands, a dresser on one wall, and a bunch of dirty clothes strewn around. She turned around to look at the rest of the room and choked on inhaled smoke. Standing in the doorway, staring at her blankly, was the rest of Dethklok. She coughed, clearing her lungs and breathing in air.

"Yes?" she rasped out the question, her throat raw from the smoke and coughing fit. "Can I help you?"

"Uh… umm… er…" the band's frontman grunted out. "Pickles… he's uh… in your band now?" he finally got the question out. Kay raised an eyebrow at them, and saw that they were concerned.

"No," she clarified to them. She elaborated on as she saw them sigh in relief. "My drummer's sick and can't get out of bed. I guess you can call it fate that we ran into each other. Pickles agreed to help record some tracks."

"Pickle, hes ams greats guy," Toki gushed. Kay smiled at him.

"Why are you guys concerned?" she asked. "I thought the band was broken up." The four men fidgeted and shuffled their feet as an answer to her. She gave a long nod, completely understanding. They all still wanted to be in the band, but without Pickles, there was no band.

"What the…" they all heard Pickles say. Everyone turned to the bathroom door and saw the drummer in question standing in the door way with a towel wrapped around his waist staring at the guys. "What the hell are you guys doing in here? Get out!" he yelled at them.

"No need to yell," Murderface slurred to Pickles. "That is no way to act around a lady." Kay saw Murderface look at her, trying to give her a sultry expression, which only failed and she felt an eye twitch.

"Hey, umm…" she began, grasping for something to resolve the tension. "Why don't you guys walk me around. That way, Pickles, you have time to get dressed and stuff. Then we can figure out what we're doing tonight." Kay immediately walked over to the rest of the band members and walked out of the room. The guys walked after her and heard Pickles door click close. She sighed to herself mentally. "So!" she turned around joyfully to the guys. "Show me some of the hotspots in this place. It's not often other musicians get to be inside Dethklok's famous house."

The four guys walked Kay around, showing her the dining room, the living room, and their recording room. They walked past a giant window in one of the hallways, and she saw the movement of a few figures. Kay looked over and saw wolves meandering around in the yard.

"Puppies!" she called out. Before the others could react and stop her, Kay opened the window and hopped out into the yard. The wolves began to stalk towards her, hunger glowing in their eyes. She could feel the band's eyes on her, unsure what to do. As the wolves drew closer, growls low in their throat, ready for the pounce, Kay opened my mouth and quietly hummed a tune. The wolves calmed down, and walked up to her, the hunger gone from their eyes, and nuzzled against her. She pet them on their heads, rubbing their coats.

Kay looked back and saw that Pickles had finally joined the others by the window, and he watched with eyes wide open. She smiled over at them and stood up. The wolves walked around her in a circle, rubbing their heads on her legs. Kay walked back over to the window and hopped back inside the hallway with the others.

"Hows dids yous…" Toki began, but his question fell silent.

"De yards wolves ams hungry always," Skwisgaar reasoned.

"Oh, they were sweet little things," Kay responded, enjoying the look of utter shock and confusion on their faces. "So, Pickles," she directed her attention to. "We should discuss what we're going to do today." She walked up to him, grabbing his arm and walked away from the group.

"Why don't we watch a movie and get drunk?" Pickles offered. Kay thought about it for a minute.

"Sure!"

The two went into the living room and Pickles grabbed a movie at random and started playing it. He grabbed a Klokateer that was walking by and ordered him to bring a bunch of alcohol. Pickles and Kay settled down on the couch and began relaxing and drinking.

A good ways into the movie, Kay felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out and saw that Amara finally called. She was tempted to ignore her call, but something in her gut told her it was important to answer. She got up from the couch, excusing herself and walked into the hallway.

"Hey Mar," Kay answered, unwantingly. "Before you start yelling, be aware that nothing bad has happened. Pickles and I just went to…"

_"Michelle's in the hospital,"_ Amara cut her off calmly. Kay could hear the strain in Amara's voice to remain calm, and she could tell there were tears in her friend's eyes that she didn't want spilling over. Kay stood silently for a minute, her heart falling out of her chest, and pounding harder than before. It felt as if all the blood in her body had drained away. She barely registered talking to Amara, telling her that she would be there soon, and seeing the other members of Dethklok standing nearby as she turned back into the living room and stood next to Pickles.

"I have to go to the hospital," Kay said calmly, feeling her whole body go numb. "Michelle relapsed." Her eyes betrayed the rest of her body, as fluid rushed forth and broke over the damn, slipping down her warm cheeks.

Pickles stood up in a heartbeat and walked Kay around the house. She felt aimless, just wanting nothing more than to be with her drummer and friend. Before she realized what was going on, Pickles had Kay in a garage full of vehicles. He pushed her into a sports car and got in the other side. The next thing she knew, she saw the flashing streetlights pass by, and the hospital she vaguely remember telling Pickles to go to neared into view.

Kay rushed to the front desk, throwing down her ID, and demanding to know where her friend was. Pickles was right behind her as she ran down the halls, trying to find the room. She finally saw the girls standing outside a door, talking amongst themselves, and ran up to them, collapsing in their arms. The tears wouldn't stop coming, no matter what she tried.

The girls spoke to Kay, but she couldn't hear anything they were saying. No doubt they were trying to figure out why the drummer from another band was standing awkwardly behind her. Another figure walked up to them, clad in a white coat, hands in the pockets. Kay looked up to see her family doctor. He stared down at Kay with no expression on his face. Her heart instantly began to settle down. She stood up and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Hey Doc," she greeted him. Even though it wasn't his name, she was used to calling him Doc. "Talk to me," she pleaded, feeling much calmer. His demeanor told Kay that things were going to be okay.

"She's not gonna die," he said plainly. Doc opened the door to Michelle's room and ushered Kay in. Michelle was asleep in her bed, hooked up to an IV and her heart monitored. Doc closed the door behind him, leaving the girls and Pickles outside in the hallway. "Michelle relapsed, but she was brought here in time. Her body was severely dehydrated and she was not able to retain the nutrients she was getting. We're going to run some more tests to see if she's got something else in her, or if this virus is a mutation."

"How can the flu do this to someone?" Kay asked, astounded. "People don't die from the flu nowadays. What happened?"

"Kay, it's very possible that this is a mutation, a new strand of the flu. It is also possible that she's been very bad about keeping up her immune system and it failed on her. But don't worry, she's going to be okay."

Kay walked over to the bed where Michelle laid, and sat down in a chair next to her. She grabbed Michelle's hand and held it tight in hers as she heard Doc open the door to leave the room. She heard the footsteps of others entering the room, but she kept her focus on Michelle. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and looked up to see Trista smiling down at her.

"Better now?" Kay's best friend asked. Kay smiled and laughed. She was sure they all thought she overreacted. And by all accounts, she was pretty sure she did overreact. The girls, at least, understood why Kay reacted the way she did. Kay looked around and saw Pickles standing in the doorway to the room. She squeezed Michelle's hand and got up from the seat and walked up to Pickles. The two walked out of the room and into the hallway.

"Hey, umm… sorry." It wasn't much, but that was all she could offer him. "The girls are like family to me. I kinda flipped when Mar said Chelle was back here."

"So that's your drummer?" he asked, chuckling nervously. Kay smiled.

"Yeah, that's Michelle, my drummer, and one of my oldest friends. We go way back. She was there for me during some of the worst times. All the girls were."

"It's cool. I should go, let you be with your friends." Kay looked up as Pickles said this to her.

"Thanks," she said, appreciative. "I should be here for the girls." Pickles nodded.

"Hey, I'm having the opening celebration of my wine in a couple days. You should come," he offered. Kay smiled at him warmly.

"I think I might have to pass. Chelle might get better soon, and I know Maggie will want me to help her with the songs we recorded."

"Oh. Well, our last concert is coming up soon, too."

"I'd love to make it to that. I'll see what's going on and let you know."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you around."

Kay waved to Pickles as he walked away, feeling bad for leaving him. She would have loved to spend more time with him, but her priorities were with Michelle and the girls right now.

The next two days passed away in a blur. Amara never left Michelle's side, and Kay split her time between the hospital and the studio with Maggie where they spent their time working on the tracks, getting them ready for submission. Michelle was released from the hospital, and once again was confined to the bed, but with a new dietary menu and care.

Kay remembered sitting on the couch with Trista in the afternoon a couple days later watching the news, and there was coverage of Murderface's political campaign down the drain with the release of his private pictures, and Pickles' wine release party where it turned out the wine was poisoned of sorts. Kay felt real bad for the wine failure, but there was nothing she could do. She messaged Pickles later that night and told him that things were settling down and that she would be honored to accompany him to the last concert. He responded that he would send someone to pick her up.

Kay told the girls to keep in touch with as she entered the vehicle sent to her for the concert. They waved goodbye as she drove away. Earlier that day, Kay spent a while on her appearance, wearing a torn, white top, and torn, dark blue jeans. She had on pale foundation and dark eyeshadow. She was happy with her appearance.

She arrived at Mordhaus, and was escorted to the helipad where Pickles waited. Kay could see the others inside the aircraft, and noticed that two were people she had not yet met. Pickles smiled at her as she came up to him, and she smiled at him in return. They walked into the aircraft together, and Pickles introduced Kay to the two men in suits. It turned out, Kay knew who the elder man was, given his status as CEO of Crystal Mountain Records was legendary. She had even had dealings with Mr. Cornickelson in the past when Half Breed was rising in fame. By his smile to her, it was clear that Mr. Cornickelson remembered her. She smiled and bowed to him in respect. Pickles introduced the other man, Charles, explaining that he was the CFO and such. Kay shook Charles' hand.

Pickles sat with the rest of the band, and Kay decided to take a seat next to Mr. Cornickelson. Soon, the aircraft was off. Cornickelson talked with the band in front of them. It was very bittersweet. When he was done talking, the aircraft was very silent. The CEO turned to Kay and began talking.

"I was very pleased to see your band rise to fame, Kay," he said with a smile. Kay smiled back at him.

"We have a lot of fun together."

"How is everyone?"

"Not so well." At Cornickelson's confusion, she continued. "Michelle's sick. She's been in and out of the hospital. We're hoping she'll recover this time. Otherwise, things have been well for all of us. Except for that café photo with me and Pickles."

"Speaking of," she heard Charles speak. "I would like to discuss with you the ramifications of this picture."

She lowered her head and sighed.

"It was an accident. Pickles came with me when I went to get lunch for everyone, and someone took a picture of it. I don't know why everyone keeps thinking that there's a secret affair." Kay looked up at Charles, noting that the members of Dethklok were watching and hearing them. "If anything, we're lucky. No one will be able to recognize me in that picture. I was dressed down, and my hair was up. And there's only one image of me without my mask floating around in the world."

"What do you mean, 'without a mask?'" Charles asked. Mr. Cornickelson laughed.

"She's in a band as well," Mr. Cornickelson answered for Kay. "She almost joined Crystal Mountain Records years ago, before Dethklok came." She giggled at his remark.

"It was a good few years before. The girls and I were young, and I wanted nothing to do with you. The others kept pushing, and I walked out."

"They sighed and shook their heads at you," Mr. Cornickelson said. "I just laughed and said that it was fate. It might have been a good thing you weren't signed to us. You skyrocketed to fame, it seemed, without any help."

"Well, that's what happens when you have good driving forces," Kay replied, winking and smiling.

"Charles," Mr. Cornickelson directed his conversation to. "I would like miss Kay to be with us back stage. I'm sure there's plenty we can catch up on."

Charles nodded in acceptance and the flight continued in silence.

It wasn't much longer before they arrived at the concert site. Everyone disembarked the aircraft and Dethklok began preparing for their final concert. Charles ordered some Klokateers to stand guard by Kay and Mr. Cornickelson. At first, she thought it was odd, but the longer she watched the boys of the band, and Charles, the more something in the back of her mind itched, and she felt a strong desire to stay near them. The longer she stood there, watching the darkening mood of the band, the more she felt her nerves heighten.

Against Kay's better judgment, she slipped between the guards and straight up to Pickles. He stood there, looking down at her, and there was no joy in his eyes. Before she knew what she was doing, Kay flung her arms around him and hugged him tight. She knew she caught him by surprise, and apparently she caught everyone else by surprise too, since it became extremely quiet around them.

"You remember how it felt when you were playing with us?" Kay whispered up to him. She felt his nod. "Well, think of that tonight. Play your heart out. Make this the best show you've ever done."

"Thanks," Pickles whispered back. She let him go and walked backwards, back to the guards. She saw that the rest of the band members were watching her with open mouths in shock.

Charles got the boys set and ready, and they watched from backstage as Dethklok took the stage for their final performance. Nathan addressed the audience, and all Kay heard was booing coming from the crowd. It was clear that the band was so loved; the fans didn't want the band to go yet. Kay stood next to Mr. Cornickelson, fidgeting.

"What's wrong, Kay?" he asked.

"There's something odd. I have this feeling in my stomach; something dark, dreadful. I'm… afraid." Kay didn't know how best to explain the situation. Not many knew of the things she saw in her past, or the intuition that always ended the way she figured. And right now, Kay couldn't shake images carved into stone; an old prophecy told to her when she was young, and soul searching.

A few minutes later, as the band began to play, something appeared over the crowd. A silver ghost; a person floating over everyone, killing them where they stood. He grew larger as he neared, and almost appeared as a half demon creature in Kay's eyes.

"Go, go, go!" Charles called out to the guards. "This is what we've been training for!"

Kay looked over at him, seeing him calm.

"What the hell is going on?" Mr. Cornickelson questioned. "What is that?"

Mr. Cornickelson walked out onto the stage in front of the guards and the band, and before her eyes, the creature lifted him into the air, and killed him. Charles grabbed hold of Kay's arm and took her with him, telling the guards to get the band to safety.

They ended up in a control room, where Charles sat in a chair in the center, presumably the 'captain's chair.' Kay stood near him, not sure where else to be, as he gave commands. Next thing she knew, the stage building was launched into the air. She watched as they attached to a submarine, which immediately began its decent into the water.

Charles had Kay follow him as he met up with the band. By the time they did finally meet, she fell to her knees and stared at the body of Cornickelson. Pickles walked up next to her, but just stood there, like the others.

"Who was that man?" Nathan asked.

"His name is Selatcia," Charles spoke. "But we call him the Half-Man. It's about time I told you everything. It's time you learned of the Church of the Black Klok."

Kay froze where she was, not breathing. She felt every nerve on her body flare up as memories assaulted her mind. She heard her heart pounding in her ears. Shakily, Kay took control of her body, slowly standing up and walked away from the others. She heard them call after her, but paid them no mind, just wanting some privacy.

She found a Klokateer and asked where she could get some privacy, and was lead to a bedroom. The door closed and she was left alone to her thoughts. The memories of walking into Crystal Mountain records flooded back. Kay had fought her friends the whole way there, yelling at them. But Mr. Cornickelson was very interested in their music. It did no good though. Kay's depression at the time got the better of her, and after knocking a table over, she stormed out of the meeting room and ran away. She began a soul searching hunt, trying to figure out why she felt so angry at the world. She fell to looking into religions, believing them to be the answer. Most of them were nothing but crocks.

Kay remembered her search bringing her to a remote land. Rumors and lore lead her there. Talk of two entrances to an underground cult of sorts. She managed to find one of those entrances and found herself deep inside a cave. She admired the glyphs on the wall, telling a tale of an apocalypse. When she had turned around, a man stood behind her. He told Kay he was the high priest of the Church of the Black Klok. He, then, proceeded to talk of the prophecy. It intrigued Kay. For hours, they sat, asking questions, learning more of the prophecy and the characters within. It was then that the high priest said she may be a part of the prophecy. He informed her that if certain events unfold in the future, part of the prophecy would change, but only one part. He said that the addition of another character would join. A person known as 'The White Mystic.' When Kay asked for information about the White Mystic, all he could say was that very little was known, and that what he said was it.

Her phone rang in her pocket, pulling her out of her trance. Kay pulled it out and looked at the number. She sighed to herself and answered.

"_Kay! Are you okay?"_ Trista fervently asked, fear lacing her tone. _"We saw the concert coverage! What the fuck happened?"_

"I'm okay," Kay answered her main fear. "I'm still trying to figure it all out myself. Cornickelson's dead. And I'm with Dethklok right now."

_"When is she coming home?"_ she heard Amara ask Trista. Before Trista could ask, Kay answered.

"I think the safest place for me right now is with Dethklok. Their manager seems to know what's going on, and what to do. Besides, if they let me go, that'll put everyone at risk."

She could hear Trista sigh over the line. Kay heard Trista's hand muffle the phone as she told the others what Kay said.

_"Alright, Kay,"_ She spoke to Kay again. _"Please stay in touch. We're worried about you."_

"I understand. I'll be fine."

The line clicked dead, and she fell onto the bed. Kay stared at the ceiling, unsure what to do next. She was stuck in a submarine with the world's most popular band. The only person on this sub she knew was Pickles. And a mutual respected figure from her past was killed in front of her eyes by some demonic ghost. And now, an old, secret organization came into play.

Kay rolled up from the bed and slid down on the ground, sitting cross-legged. She closed my eyes, sitting up straight, and began to push everything out of her mind. She felt her lips move and her vocal chords vibrate as she began to chant as she meditated. Kay remembered a place she had gone to when she ran away. Lush, green fields of grass, wildflowers dotting the ground. The sky was crystal blue, with small, puffy clouds pockmarked in the sky. Tall mountain capped with snow tried to reach the pristine sky. She remember walking in this field and having to stop to take it in. It was there, for the first time in years, that she had felt calm and happy. It was there that all her worries of the past melted away. She breathed in deep, almost able to smell the air of that field, hear the gentle wind blowing.

Kay faintly heard her name being called a ways away down the field. She looked around, but couldn't see anyone. She sat down in the field, smiling, enjoying her surroundings. Her name was called again, and this time she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

Kay's eyes shot open and the field she was in dissolved from her vision. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, and she heard her name being called again, this time much closer. Kay looked up and saw Pickles was bending down next to her.

"Hey there," he greeted, seeing that Kay finally came back to reality.

"Hey Pickles," she gave raspily.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You seemed kinda… out of it."

"I'm okay. Just… shocked. Are you okay? That thing was trying to get you."

"Yeah, I'm good." Pickles sat down next to her and looked around. "So what were you doing?"

"I was meditating," she said, giggling.

"Isn't that that 'om' crap old geezers do?"

"Yes, it is," she laughed. "Meditating calms the mind and centers you."

"Hmm." Pickles thought about that for a while.

"You wanna know what else clears your mind?" she asked with a smile.

"Uhh… what?"

"Dancing!" Kay proclaimed, standing up with a bounce.

She grabbed Pickles' hand and dragged him out of the room. It took a few minutes, but she managed to find a communal room. There was a giant stereo on one wall, a giant couch in the middle and a huge TV against the wall. She dragged Pickles in and turned the radio on, searching for a good channel. Finally, Kay found some upbeat music. It wasn't rock, but it was good to dance silly to. She turned to Pickles, who looked at her skeptically. She started doing the dance from the music video she had seen before of the song that was playing. Pickles looked almost horrified. He began to loosen up and laugh at her. The dance moves were funny, so Kay was glad it was this song that started playing. Soon after, Toki, Murderface, and Skwisgaar came into the room, questioning the music and stopped when they saw Kay dance. Toki smiled, running over to her, and began dancing with. Kay was surprised to see that he knew the dance, but it just made it better. It took a lot of coaxing, but she managed to get Skwisgaar to dance with her, giving up on the song's choreographed dance and just moving to the beat. In no time, she had Murderface and Pickles dancing too. The whole time, the guys were screaming obscenities and saying that none of this was 'metal.' Kay just told them to shut up and dance, get it all out. They were all laughing, unbelieving that this was happening. For a few dances, they all became lost in the beat, just enjoying the moment. Finally, when they were all out of breath, they stopped dancing, gasping for air, smiling, and laughing.

Pickles ended up turning the TV on, so Kay silenced the stereo. The channel was on the news, which had coverage of the attack at the concert. It was around that time that Nathan walked into the room. The news caster revealed that Roy Cornickelson had wanted Nathan to give the eulogy. It was clear in that moment that the fun had ended, and it was time to go back to the real world. They left the room, wanting to get away from the despair.

Kay ended up back in the bedroom she had before. She walked up to the mirror and looked at herself in the reflection. She still looked like she was ready for the concert. Kay unclipped her hair, letting it fall down her back, and entered the bathroom and wiped off the makeup that felt caked on her face at that moment. She found a brush and began brushing the knots out of her hair, parting it down the middle. She looked at her reflection once again and tried to smile. The smile wouldn't come to her lips.

"Mistress," Kay heard a male voice call into the room. She was caught off guard, but she exited the bathroom and came back into the bedroom where she saw a Klokateer in the doorway. "Master Ofdensen has requested your presence. Please follow me." Kay did as she was asked, following the hooded man through the hallways of the submarine. They finally arrived in a large room with a window covering one of the walls, looking out into the dark expanse before them.

"I told you all some time ago that there was something much bigger than us going on out there." Charles began speaking, not once looking at them. "See, there's an unyielding darkness surrounding this band; a horrible danger. And it's time that I told you that story.

Do you remember the black fire upon us? The attack on our home? It was led by the Revengencers. The man with the silver face led a group of brainwashed ex-fans bent on taking us all down. Upon my chasing this man, I was wounded, beaten, and that's the first time I saw Selatcia, the Half-Man, the man that killed Roy Cornickelson. I'd never seen anything like it, and it terrified me. I watched him possess a man and turn him into his pawn. My eyes met his, and I experienced a horrible blackness. I felt as if my heart was being crushed. I quite literally died, I felt my soul drift away from my body. And I can explain more once we arrive."

"We are here, sire," a Klokateer spoke as the door leading out of the room opened.

"Welcome, to the Church of the Black Klok," Charles proclaimed.

They were ushered out of the room and into personal pods, which automatically drove them up through an underwater entrance into the cave. Kay realized that this was the secondary entrance she had heard about all those years ago. They all left the pods and walked through the cave. As they walked through the tunnels, Charles explained that the Church of the Black Klok was an ancient society that had been well guarded. They had saved Charles' life before, and had secretly been protecting the band. As they entered the main chamber, an elderly man stood before them, the high priest. And down below were the many followers of the religion. There were more people than Kay remembered. She was taken aback by this, but the band didn't seem fazed at all.

The high priest, Ishnifus Meaddle, explained how he nursed Charles back to health. Charles then told them of the prophecy he was introduced to. Kay walked over to the wall and looked at the ancient script on the wall. Charles explained that he was known as the Dead Man in the prophecy, and as such, was able to move around undetected, obtaining information about Falconback. Kay stored that information in the back of her mind to ask later. She just continued to examine the wall. Ishnifus began to talk, saying that the Metalocalypse has been moving forward. And in these dark times, the prophecy says that five souls would rise up, saving the world.

Of course, the guys didn't understand any of this, or who these people were. Ishnifus continued, saying that as the world crumbles, and everything turns to darkness, the world would look to Dethklok for salvation.

"This fucking shit doesn't make any fucking sense," Nathan spat out. "Because, we're not fucking heroes, that's for fucking sure. And secondly, we're not even a fucking band anymore. Fuck!" Nathan turned around to walk away, but was stopped when Ishnifus spoke again.

"What drove you to destroy your record?" He asked, clearly knowing the answer himself. "There's something you're not telling them, because you fear it would make you appear mad. We know why you destroyed that record. And so do you. 'Twas the wrong record, 'twas the wrong message. Look, you were visited by a water beast; a sea prophet. She has been your guide for some time. She speaks to you in dreams. And she spoke to you then. She told you that you couldn't condone that message. The five of you had to release the appropriate one. And release this message, you must. This will be the most important thing you will have done. You're one song away from finishing this message. Yes, Dethklok must finish this last song first. Look within yourself, you know this to be true."

The guys stood there, staring at him in disbelief. But Charles cut them off, saying that they needed to leave for the funeral now. As everyone began to walk away, Ishnifus Meaddle stood beside Kay. The others, around the tunnel entrance, stopped and looked over at the two.

"You have become strong," he spoke softly to Kay. She nodded, looking back up at the prophecy on the wall. "The right events have unfolded, leading you to us again, to take the role of the White Mystic. Are you prepared for this journey?"

Kay looked up at him, feeling her eyes water as a rush of emotion overwhelmed her. Memories of her past flooded her mind. She placed a hand on the wall, looking at it again, and to the image of the White Mystic on the wall.

"You believe me to be the Mystic, still?" she asked, hearing her voice tremble.

"Only one, heart as pure as yours can take up this mantle," was his reply.

"How do you know my heart is pure? I've seen things, done things, that would terrify others."

"It is because of this pain you have endured, that makes you stronger, makes you understand the job at hand. I believe there is no other more suitable for this role."

Kay inhaled deep and slowly released the air in her lungs as she willed the tears back inside.

"I am the White Mystic. I will do my duty, and protect the chosen ones." She turned away from the wall and walked to the rest of the group, waiting for her.

They walked back to the submarine in silence. There was so much on everyone's mind, there was no reason to say anything. Kay found her way back to her room and looked for something to wear. It was almost as if they had prepared for a woman to be onboard, since half the closet was filled with women's clothing. Kay managed to find a nice black pencil skirt with a matching jacket. She found a white blouse to go underneath and slipped it on. She entered the bathroom and worked on her hair, deciding to just put it in a high ponytail. For appearances, she applied a small amount of makeup, making sure not to do her usual gothic layers.

After some time, there was a knock on the door. Pickles entered the room, dressed in a nice suit. Kay smiled at him in greeting.

"Hey, uh…" he began. "I'm sorry, for dragging you into all this shit."

"It's okay," she stopped him from continuing, smiling. "It was destined. And unforeseeable. Besides, you would have seen me at Roy's funeral anyways."

"Yeah, what's the deal with that? How do you know him?"

Kay giggled.

"Shortly after Kale and I managed to leave the gang, I met up with the girls. For a few years, they dealt with my depression, withdrawls, and… suicide attempts. The girls managed to get me to start writing, which spawned all the lyrics to our songs. We began creating those songs together. Those were some of the only moments the depression didn't affect me." Kay looked up at Pickles, who only stood there staring at her. "One day, Maggie said that she had set up a meeting with the CEO of a record label. Me, being the perfectionist, was not happy with this. I didn't think the music was ready. And I certainly was not ready to devote my time to the music. We went anyway. Roy was very kind, very gentle. He was very interested in our work, and wanted me to sign a contract immediately. The girls were excited about it. But I felt suffocated. So I ran. Literally. I ran out of the building, and didn't stop running. That began my journey of self-discovery. About a year later, I returned. I met with Roy a few more times, and we did talk business, but I told him that I wasn't ready, that it didn't feel right. He never got angry about it, but he would always keep in touch."

"I see," Pickles said. "Why were you depressed?" Kay was shocked that Pickles was asking about her personal life. But she answered him anyway.

"Because my family was killed in front of me, and there was nothing I could do. I always felt like it was my fault. I ran away from my grandparents and found a gang. I ended up joining, being the youngest member. I drowned everything out with drugs and alcohol. I was still depressed when I got out of the gang. Almost nothing the girls did helped. Except writing music. Singing always had a way of calming me down."

"Well, I'm glad you're not dead," Pickles said. Kay laughed. "We should be there soon." He walked out of the room, leaving her alone. Kay sat there, preparing her mind for the funeral.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Metalocalypse. Parts in this chapter were taken from the show, spoken words by some of the characters, only to follow the show in the episodes. What some of the characters say is from the show, and not my own. But it is my character hearing them being spoken. I just wanted to follow as closely as possible to the events in the show.

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Ch.4

They had arrived at a large, stone coliseum. Kay walked in with the band and Charles and was seated in the front row next to Pickles. Toki got up eventually, waving over at someone and walked to them and sat next to them.

"That's Magnus Hammersmith," Pickles whispered over to Kay.

"Wasn't he in the band in the beginning?" she asked back to him. Pickles nodded. "What's Toki doing with him then?"

"I don't know," Pickles replied, shrugging. "He seems to be cool now. And Toki likes him."

She looked over and saw a pretty woman sit down next to Magnus, but she paid no mind to anyone around her.

"Ah crap," Pickles muttered. "That's Abigail."

"That's the woman Nathan took?" Kay looked at Pickles, stunned, as he nodded. "Well, she's pretty and all, but she doesn't seem like a nice woman. You liked her, didn't you?" When she looked back at Pickles, he turned his head away from her. "You know, if you still want her, I can talk to her and convince her to go on a date with you." At Kay's words, Pickles began to blush.

"Nah, I'm fine," was all he could say.

Shortly after, Nathan stood up and walked up to the podium behind the casket, organizing his papers. Kay was excited to see what the lyrical genius who's entranced millions with his words would say.

"Hi," he began, coughing to clear his throat. "Thanks for comin'. Umm… 'kay… I'll never forget when they asked me to give this eulogy. Because, uh, I was letting a rampant dog blow me."

The audience was silent, except for Murderface, who thought it was hilarious. Kay felt disappointment at the opening speech. This was Dethklok's lyrical genius?

"Uh… Very much like our friend, uh, Roy Cornickelson, uh, that joke died." The faces of everyone in the audience was deadpanned. Nathan muttered, trying to get his thoughts in order. "I remember when we met him we were young, everything was simple, we had our lives together, we knew who we were, and it's all changed now... Everything is worse! My band isn't even together... I've alienated my friends and it's because of me it's because it's my fault! Ugh.. Pickles... I know you hate me and so do I and… I mean… ugh… I hate me too! I don't care anymore! 'Cause I want you to know that I'm... oooh ughhh oooh god!"

"What's wrong with him?" Murderface asked in shock.

"Hes ams tryings…" Skwisgaar began. Kay could hear Toki on the other side finish Skwisgaar's thought.

"To apolgisecs!" Toki called out.

"Pickles!" Nathan called out. Pickles looked to his friend in surprise. "I'm sor…" he began, unable to say the word, giving him pain trying to say it. "I'm sor…" All of a sudden, he threw up blood. "I'm sor… I'm sor…" Each attempt Nathan gave to say the word became more powerful, filled with more emotion.

"Says it gods damn it," Skwisgaar called out.

"I'm," Nathan tried again. "Oh boy!" He yelled, trying to muster the courage. "Oh boy! Oh boy!"

"Come on, Nathan, say it!" Murderface tried to rally his friend.

"You can dos it!" Skwisgaar called out again.

"I'm sorry!" Nathan screamed as loud as he could. "I'm sorry I destroyed the record. I'm sorry that I took the girl! But I don't want her, if it means that I can't have you. Being my drummer. And I want Dethklok back!"

Kay smiled and patted Pickles on the shoulder. Pickles stood up and walked towards Nathan, as Nathan walked down from the podium. The two met, and gave each other a hug. The two of them shared words quietly together.

The next thing anyone knew, an explosion occurred from beneath the casket. People started running around in terror. Pickles and Nathan were blown to near the rest of them. From within the crater that was formed, people began climbing out, weapons brandished, and they ran around attacking people. A group of Klokateers surrounded Kay and the band, protecting them, and fighting against these newcomers. A man with silver hair and a mask over half his face climbed out of the hole.

"Everyone stay on this side," Charles commanded them. "I'll take care of him." Kay could see Charles' eyes narrow as he stared down this particular man. He ran forward and began fighting against the masked man.

Blood spilled everywhere as the newcomers sliced open the funeral attendees and the Klokateers that let their guards down.

"Pickles, get over here!" Nathan called to Pickles. Pickles backed up to Nathan. "Where's everybody else?"

"Where's Toki?" Pickles asked.

"Toki!" Nathan screamed out, trying to find the lost band mate.

Across the crevice, Toki was trying to come to them, but was held in place, and by his hair it looked like, by Magnus. Magnus yelled at Toki to stay with him. Something about it sent a chill down Kay's spine.

"Now Magnus!" the masked man called out after being thrown to the ground by Charles.

"Revenge has come!" Magnus yelled to the sky, pulling a knife out and stabbing Toki in the chest.

The rest of the band, and Kay, watched in horror, screaming at Magnus, as they watched him harm Toki. Next to them, a man had Abigail and stabbed her as well. Her high pitched scream rang out in the place. A series of small explosions hit, which signaled the newcomers disappearance, as well as Toki and Abigail's departure. Kay looked on in horror as the only ones left were the members of Dethklok, minus Toki, Charles, and herself. All others were dead or gone.

Charles ushered them to hurry back to the submarine, and they departed deep into the ocean. Everyone met up with Ishnifus, and they gazed into the expanse of the water.

"We believe him to still be alive," Ishnifus soothed to the band.

"The song you haven't written yet will be the most important ammunition we will ever have," Charles explained to the band. "But, we're going to have to find Toki first."

"And Abigail," Pickles said, sorrow in his voice.

"And I'm going to take care of these motherfuckers, once and for all," Nathan concluded.

"You won't be alone," Pickles joined.

For some reason, Kay felt something heavy in her chest, and she couldn't be around them. She turned around and walked out of the room. She walked until she found the lounge with vending machines and tables. As she sat down, she realized that it had been a while since she had last had a cigarette. Shakily, Kay reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack and lighter, lighting the cigarette, and taking a shaky drag of it. The nicotine would not settle her nerves though. She kept smoking, for something to do. She was sure she would hear her phone ring soon with her concerned friends. She even welcomed it to take her mind off of… off of what? She didn't even know.

Almost like clockwork, Kay's phone rang. She picked it up and answered the call.

_"What the fuck?!"_ Kay heard Amara scream at the top of her lungs. _"We saw the coverage of the funeral! What the hell happened?"_

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Kay replied shakily. She leaned over and laid her forehead on the table.

_"Hang on a sec,"_ Mar said, surprisingly calmly. Kay heard the phone rustle as it changed hands.

_"I finally wake up, and the first thing I see is my dearest friend in the middle of an attack,"_ Michelle choked out. Kay could tell she was still weak, and probably should go back to sleep. But Kay knew Michelle's worry for her would keep her up. She was the nurturer after all.

"I'm sorry," Kay offered her. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going on. I keep thinking of the past. My head is spinning. My chest hurts for some reason. And I'm supposed to be something special. And I'm stuck in a submarine with most of the members of Dethklok."

_"Why does your chest hurt?"_ Michelle asked.

"I don't know!" Kay cried out, feeling tears spilling over her eyes and down her cheeks. "I saw a friend of ours get killed, we've been attacked twice now, and I don't feel like I should be here."

_"Just tell them to drop you off somewhere,"_ Michelle reasoned. _"We'll come get you."_

"That's just it! I don't think they will let me go. And it might be for the best. I ran into someone I met a long time ago, though. He says I need to be here. I don't…" Kay trailed off.

_"What do you want?"_ Michelle asked.

"I want Alex back," she cried out. "I want my chest to stop hurting. I want to be noticed."

_"Noticed for what?"_

"I don't know. I feel like I'm going out of my way to be noticed for something, but I don't know what!"

_"Do you feel safe where you are?"_ Michelle asked, surprising Kay. She always was more understanding than the rest of the girls.

"Yes," Kay said calmly.

_"Do you trust the people around you?"_ she asked, surprising Kay yet again. Kay nodded her head, knowing Michelle couldn't see.

"I do. I trust them."

_"Then just try and find something to occupy your time until you can come home. Now, go relax, take your mind off of things. We'll be here for you if you need us."_

"Okay," Kay responded softly. "Thank you. I love you girls so much. I'll try and see you soon."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Kay lifted her head from the table and smoked her cigarette. She saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye and looked over. Pickles was standing in the doorway, concern on his features. She felt her heart jump.

"Hey Pickles," she called out hesitantly. Pickles walked up, standing beside her. Kay looked into his eyes and sighed. "How much of that conversation did you hear?"

"All of it," the redhead responded. "I followed you when you left. Who's Alex?"

Kay's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed red. She turned away from Pickles, looking for something to mess with so she didn't have to look at him.

"Is he… your boyfriend?" Pickles asked more specifically. This caused Kay to whip her head back around to look at Pickles.

"No," sh said quietly. "Alex... is no one." Kay turned her head and stared at the top of the table, flicking ash into the ashtray.

"Oh," Pickles responded. "You wanna go do something? Maybe have a couple drinks?" he offered with a cheeky smile. Kay glared at him, and felt something inside her snap.

"No," she retorted. "You seem pretty busy trying to find your precious Abigail." Kay stood up from the table in a huff and walked away. She passed the rest of Dethklok on her way out. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed privacy. And she wanted to get out of these suffocating formal clothes.

She found her way back to the room, and found that her clothes from the concert had been cleaned and folded up neatly, lying on the bed. Kay stripped out of the pencil skirt and jacket and walked into the bathroom. She turned the water on in the shower, letting the heat steam up the room before she stepped in. The painful sting of scalding hot water felt invigorating. In the shower, she let her tears rush forth as she fell to her knees.

The image of her baby brother, Alex, flitted across Kay's mind. His shaggy bleach blonde hair, and sapphire blue eyes, always smiling at her. He was so gentle and kind. He didn't know or understand that their parents were gone forever. And he didn't understand what the horrible feeling he had was as he bled out in her arms. He was so pure, so innocent. Kay's heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest all over again.

An image of Pickles entered her mind then. This dreadlocked redhead with a smirk playing on his lips constantly. He always acted sarcastic, but it showed that he genuinely cared for his friends. And when he saw Abigail enter the funeral, Kay could hear a longing in his voice. She knew he was considering her offer to set them up on a date. And the mere thought made her chest tighten.

Kay waited for the pain to pass, and it was slow and agonizing. She didn't understand why she felt this way. She wiped the tears away from her eyes, and stood back up in the water. It had cooled significantly, which led her to think that she had been in there, lost in her mind, for a while. She washed her hair, shaved, and washed her body quickly and got out. She peered into the mirror and wiped away all her makeup, which had smeared, and wrapped a towel around her body.

She stepped out of the bathroom and wandered around the room, trying to find something to wear that she could sleep in. After rummaging through a few drawers in the dresser, she finally found an oversized black t-shirt that fell halfway down her thighs. Kay slumped over to the bed, sliding easily between the sheets. She stared at the ceiling of the room, feeling her exhaustion heavy, but unable to fall asleep. She remembered there was only one thing that could get her to sleep in these situations.

_…Kai…_ she thought to herself. Before she realized what she was doing, Kay grabbed her phone and began dialing this man's number. She laid there, feeling her heart pounding away in her chest, thinking to herself that this may have been a bad idea, half hoping that he wouldn't answer.

_"Hello?"_ she heard the drowsy man's husky voice whispered.

"Hey, Kai," Kay whispered back to him, smiling.

_"Kay! Hey,"_ Kai replied, a little more awake in his tone of voice. _"What's up? Everything okay?"_

"No," she answered him honestly.

_"What's wrong, Kitten?"_ Kai asked softly, using one of Kay's nicknames.

"Memories," she answered again, honestly. Kai was one of the few people that knew everything she went through. "Been thinking about my family a lot, lately. And I got sucked into some crap with Dethklok."

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa…"_ Kai called out. Kay heard rustling over the phone and figured that Kai had sat up in bed. _"You're with Dethklok. As in, _the_ Dethklok. And you're complaining?"_ At his words, Kay laughed, feeling silly. She knew most people would kill for this kind of opportunity.

"There's just a lot going on," she tried to explain to her friend. "I can't think clearly. I really want to see you. I miss you."

_"Aww, I miss you too, Kay,"_ Kai offered. This made Kay smile. It had been a long time since she had seen her ex-boyfriend.

"Hey, Kai?" she called to him.

_"What's up?"_

"Can you sing me a song?"

_"A lullaby?"_

"Yes."

_"Sure."_ Kay heard him clear his voice as he prepared to sing a lullaby. It was something they used to do a long time ago when they were young.

"_Rest your head now, princess,_

_The day's been long, the road so difficult._

_The joy you brought brings warmth to the night,_

_But now it is time to sleep._

_Sleep, sleep, enter to a new land._

_A peaceful land with candy clouds and mermaids swimming._

_Dream of love, expand your heart so._

_Sleep, sleep, and show me in the morning._

_Rest your weary eyes now._

_I will be here when you wake._

_You are never alone,_

_So wipe away your tears._

_Sleep, sleep, enter to a new land,_

_Of Viking ships, and flying fairies._

_Dream of love, your heart knows no bounds._

_Sleep, sleep, and show me in the morning._

_Sleep, sleep, it is not the end._

_I will follow you in these worlds you see._

_Seeing the depth of love you hold so._

_Sleep, sleep, and show me in the morning."_

Somehow, hearing Kai's deep voice smoothly sing the melody put Kay at ease. She tried to speak to him, to tell him that she loved him and couldn't wait to see him. She heard him chuckle, so she assumed that it all came out a giant mumble.

_"Sleep well, my dear Kay,"_ he whispered. She heard the line click dead. Kay was so tired, she couldn't move. She felt her body slowly slip away into the dream world, phone still next to her ear.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Metalocalypse or the characters within. I will also start putting disclaimers of other things now. I do not condone substance abuse or under-aged sex, nor anything else that is viewed as taboo or illegal in society that is mentioned in this story. This story is pure fiction, as are the characters within.

Please read and review

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Ch.5

Kay awoke, slightly more refreshed than she had in a long time. She smiled to herself at the knowledge of how her friend could sooth her. Her expression grew grim as she knew what was to happen soon. Slowly, almost painfully, Kay slipped out from between the sheets and rummaged around the dresser and closet for something to wear. Eventually, she gave up looking and slid her clothes she wore to the concert. She brushed her hair, leaving it down and flowing around her shoulders, and walked out of the room.

Kay became lost, almost immediately, while trying to find the dining room, having to stop many of the Klokateers to point her in the right direction. She got fed up and told one of them to just walk her to it. She bowed to the Klokateer who took his time to bring her to the dining room, and entered. A hooded waiter walked up and asked to take her order for breakfast. All she asked for was a cup of coffee.

She sat at a table by herself, a fresh cup of joe in her hand, and a cigarette between the fingers of her other hand. She felt dread rising in the pit of her stomach, and couldn't think of a way to squash it.

All too soon, the bottom of the cup appeared and all that remained of the cigarette stick was the filter. Kay stood from her chair, immediately being assisted by Klokateers, who took the cup away and cleaned the ash tray. Kay turned away and walked towards the exit of the dining room.

As if the gods had an issue with her, and fate wanted to play games with her, Kay almost ran face-first into Pickles' chest. Pickles wasn't alone, either. Murderface, Skwisgaar, and Nathan stood next to their drummer. Kay felt embarrassment rise inside her, feeling her face flush. She looked up to stare in the eyes of the redhead, and realized instantly that he was drunk and on the verge of getting a hangover.

"Sorry," Kay rattled to him quickly, hoping that Pickles realized she was apologizing for more than just running into him… again. She sidestepped and walked out of the room around the guys as they entered to nurse their hangovers.

Kay looked back as she walked away, seeing Pickles look back at her. Kay turned her head out and walked down the halls, her mind focusing on what she needed to do. She walked through the halls, becoming familiar with the layout of the huge submarine.

Eventually, she arrived at the command center, entering through the door. Around the large room, Klokateers dressed in their traditional black ensemble with black hoods covering their heads worked at different monitors, and in the center, sitting in the command chair, was Charles, who was turned to his side, talking with Kay's target. Standing next to Charles, hands together in front of his robes, was Ishnifus.

At Kay's entrance, Charles and Ishnifus ceased their conversation and turned to Kay.

"You're not supposed to be in here," Charles spoke to her, raising an eyebrow. Before the man in the suit could continue and kick her out, Kay spoke.

"I need to talk to Ishnifus," she said, trying to show her urgency. The robed man stepped away from Charles and towards Kay. He smiled at her as the two walked out of the command center and walked through the hallways. The two were silent as they walked side by side, looking for a vacant room.

Eventually finding a spare room, Kay and Ishnifus sat on the floor, staring at each other. They past a few minutes in silence. Kay took note that Ishnifus was very calm during this time. He alternated between closing his eyes, either resting or meditating, and staring at Kay expectantly.

"Tell me what you have learned on your journey," Ishnifus finally spoke to Kay. She looked upon the aging man, seeing a soft smile, a look in his eyes saying that he had all the time in the world, even though the events of the Metalocalypse had been rushing forth. Kay closed her eyes, thinking back in her life and her journey of self-discovery. She breathed in deep, knowing that the elder man wouldn't want her to speak until she was ready.

"There is energy all throughout the earth," Kay started slowly, combining all the knowledge she had gained from different religions and practices. "This energy, this force, gives us as humans power. It is what keeps the world order going. Long ago, humans knew how to bend this energy, manipulating it to increase their luck and livelihood."

"Very good," Ishnifus interjected as Kay sat silently for a moment, continuing to think. "Your powers, specifically, have the ability to control others using your voice alone."

Kay thought back to the last time she had used her voice on something, thinking of the yard wolves at Mordhaus.

"Like math, music is a type of 'universal language.' It's understood between humans and worlds," Kay elaborated, more to let Ishnifus know she understood. She looked up and saw him smile and nod. "With proper training, we are able to bend this energy, to pull up shields for our loved ones, and use this energy to attack." Kay knew there was much more to this power the world had, but one of the basis was what she spoke. She opened her eyes to see Ishnifus nodding. "But," she began, confusion and worry lacing her voice. "Selatcia, the Half-Man, he's not from our world. He's from a different one. Possibly a different universe or dimension."

"True," Ishnifus proclaimed.

"What would that demon want with our world?" she asked the older man. Kay saw him shrug and shake his head in response. She felt herself sigh softly in defeat.

"We do not know yet what the godless Half-Man wants with us," Ishnifus spoke, justifying Kay's inner worry. He looked at Kay for a moment, calm and serenity claiming every part of this man, and eventually reached into his robe, pulling out a white candle and set it between the two of them and lighting it. "Move the flame," he gently commanded when the flame of the candle stilled and calmed.

Kay looked up at the old man, her brows scrunched down and together. She knew what he wanted from her. But she thought it silly, seeing as how this was a basis of all energy practice. There was an invisible force connected to the flame, as with anything in this world. The point of the exercise was to grab hold of the line of the flame and move it around. Kay stifled a laugh deep in her throat, thinking the old man was making fun of her. She had trained with Buddhists, Druids, and Wiccans, and even after leaving them all Kay continued training with energy.

She moved her hand over the flame, closing her eyes in concentration. She thought of the flame, then opened her eyes to look at it, letting it engulf her vision, letting the small heat from the flame warm her body, deep to its core. She pinched her thumb and forefinger together, letting the other three digits lay loose, grabbing hold of this invisible energy line above the tip of the flame. Kay jerked her fingers up gently, willing the flame to follow her movement and lengthen.

The flame stood where it was, calm as ever, not moving.

Kay furrowed her brows, trying not to break her concentration. She opened her fingers and closed them again, trying to grab hold of the energy line, and move the flame up to lengthen again.

Again, the flame did nothing.

A low growl began to form in the base of Kay's throat. Her fingers moved from side to side around the flame, trying to get it to cooperate with her. She noticed that, almost like in retaliation, the flame would move in the opposite direction she was trying to move it.

Sighing, she let the energy line of the flame go, lowering her hand to her side. She could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes and felt the worry grow deeper in the pit of her stomach.

"I… can't move it," she said in disbelief. "Why can't I move the flame? What's wrong with me?" she asked to no one in particular, beginning to hear the hysteria form.

"Something is blocking your powers," Ishnifus replied calmly. He blew out the candle, drowning the two of them in a darkness that seemed deeper than before, even with the low, halogen lighting above them. "You need to figure out what is stopping you from using your powers. Once they are working, we can locate the missing soul from Dethklok."

Kay sat before the man in silence, her head turned to the side in disappointment. She felt weak, powerless, and vulnerable. They were feelings she hadn't felt in a long time, and it made her sick. She thought she felt an itch of discomfort deep inside her, and wanted nothing more than to scratch it. Ishnifus stood from the ground, picking the warm candle up, being careful not to spill any wax, and walked to the door.

"Come to me when your powers have returned," he said solemnly to Kay. His footsteps could be heard as he walked out of the room and down the hall, possibly heading back to the command center.

Kay sat by herself, thinking back to the things that could have possibly stopped her from using her powers. She realized that the only thing that could have done that was Selatcia, but the demon man hadn't even been aware of her presence when he attacked. And she hadn't been targeted at the funeral, or felt a presence of someone that could have blocked her powers.

She went through her memories of what she had done to open her mind in the past, and allowed the magic and energy of life enter her. After spending a few minutes thinking, Kay stood up and straightened her clothes out. She left the room and began walking. She knew that she would eventually find something that would help her if she wandered aimlessly. That had been how she had fallen into studying different religions and practices, eventually finding the Church of the Black Klok.

Kay finally came to rest in front of a random door. There was nothing special about this door, but every time she tried to walk away, it felt like her feet were glued to the ground in front of this steel entrance. She smiled slightly to herself, knowing that the energy and the earth were giving her a sign. Slowly, Kay turned the knob of the door and pushed it open. The hinges squeaked once as she walked through the threshold.

Kay closed the door behind her and looked around the room. It was spacious enough, with a large metal couch with plush red cushions against the back wall. There was a giant soundboard in front of the couch, and a room connected to it with microphones and instruments. Kay was startled as a thin person with chin length blond hair whirled around to look at her entrance from the soundboard. There were metal circles over his eyes that changed from a red to a green color in the center.

"Who are you?" the person asked in a nasally voice that also indicated the person as a male.

"Umm…" Kay began, shocked to see someone. "Who are you?" she asked tentatively.

"That's what I asked," the man said. "Tell me who you are."

"I'm… Kay," she said, dragging out her words. "Acquaintance of Pickles," she elaborated.

"Oh, you're Picture Girl," the nasally man clarified. Kay felt her eyes narrow and her lips purse together in irritation. "He's not here," this man said as if to push Kay out.

"I'm not looking for him," Kay retorted. "Who are you?"

"I'm Dick Knubbler," the man said. Kay saw the metal things over his eyes react to his voice, the size of the green light in the center enlarge and contract. She made the assumption that they were robotic eyes. Then she paused as the name of the man struck something in her. It had been familiar to her. Finally, it clicked, and it felt like a light bulb had lit up inside her head.

"You approached us before about producing an album with us!" Kay exclaimed. She saw as Dick tilted his head to the side in clear confusion. Kay just smiled.

"Half Breed," she said, simply.

The LED portion of the mechanical eyes were green, and lit up the whole center as Knubbler looked at her. He stood up from his chair and looked at her, pointing.

"You…" he struggled to speak. "You're in Half Breed?!"

Kay smiled and nodded her head. "Koneko." Kay knew the name would have meaning. Koneko was an old nickname of hers, and was also her alias when it came to anything Half Breed related. Knubbler looked on at her in shock, his mouth dropping wide open as he staggered over to her. When he was standing in front of Kay, he held his hand out to her. Kay shook his trembling hand.

"It's an honor to meet you," Knubbler said to her, awe and admiration dripping from his voice. "Yes, I came to Half Breed, wanting to produce an album with you, but the girl I talked to told me that I was wasting my time."

Kay laughed. "Yeah. Hebi, she's part of the band, but she's also our producer and manager," she said, thinking of her friend, Maggie, but calling her by her Half Breed name. "We don't usually go outside of the group for anything."

"Such a shame," Knubbler's nasally voice droned, almost sounding as if he was concocting a plan. "I had really wanted to work with such a famous and successful band."

Kay staunched down the desire to roll her eyes at Knubbler's tone. She remembered how Maggie had come into the studio one day and telling everyone about some nasal-voiced producer trying to guilt-trip his way into the studio with them. It was clear to Kay in that moment that there was no mistake about who it was.

"Well," Kay began. "You might be in luck." She paused to watch Knubbler's reaction closely. His LED lit eyes grew wide. "I think it's fate that I came in here. I need something to get my mind off of some things, and to focus on other things."

Knubbler's mechanical eyes' light reached the edges and his mouth gaped open again.

"I'd be honored to record your voice!" he proclaimed and turned around, tripping over his feet as he walked back over to the soundboard. Kay smiled to herself and rolled her eyes when the blond man wasn't looking.

For the next few hours, Kay astounded Knubbler as she took each instrument in her hands and began playing them randomly. Finally, she listened to her mind and started playing certain riffs on each instrument, hearing a song playing in her head. After each instrument was played, she would leave the sound room and sit with Knubbler, piecing the different parts together to make an instrumental song.

The two sat together, listening to an almost finished product. It was dark, and heavy, but had a good pace to it, so it didn't feel like it dragged. Knubbler kept looking over at Kay, wanting to know what the lyrics would be. Only Kay had any idea what this song was about. Eventually, Kay stood up and walked back into the sound room. She didn't pick up any instrument, but placed headphones on and stood in front of the microphone. Knubbler began playing the song, and waited with bated breath for Kay to finish the song.

Kay listened to the whole instrumental song once, swaying to it, letting it absorb into her being. When the song ended, she had him play it again. Kay closed her eyes.

"_I hate you for the kindness you show to me_

_The pity you lay on me, clear in your eyes._

_All my life, I bled for others_

_And knew that it only made me stronger._

_Just light me up!_

_Set me on fire!_

_Just stand there and watch me burn._

_Just let me die!_

_And light me up!_

_Just stand there and watch me hurt._

_I've been on my knees, begging for it_

_Wanting something to wash away the pain._

_And now I look at you, clear in my eyes_

_I just want to be your whore._

_Take all of me!_

_Just light me up!_

_Set me on fire!_

_Just stand there and watch me burn._

_Just let me die!_

_And light me up!_

_Just stand there and watch me hurt._

_The blood dripped from my eyes_

_As I lay bare for you._

_Hello! Can you even see me beneath you?_

_You look beyond to another world._

_Just light me up!_

_Set me on fire!_

_Just stand there and watch me burn._

_Just let me die!_

_And light me up!_

_Just stand there and watch me hurt._

_I'm through now, I'm done with you_

_You can't use me anymore._

_This is the end of my life!_

_I hate you for the kindness you give to me._

_Just light me up!_

_Just watch me burn!_

_Just let me die!_

_Just let me scream!_

_Just light me up!_

_Set me on fire!_

_Just stand there and watch me burn._

_Just let me die!_

_And light me up!_

_Just stand there and watch me hurt."_

Kay didn't open her eyes as she took the headphones off her head and set them down when the music ended. There was utter silence coming from Knubbler. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. It was the song she felt in her body, but maybe it hadn't impressed Knubbler. She walked over to the door to the sound room and finally opened her eyes as she opened the door.

Shock was an understatement for what she saw as she left the sound room. She wanted a hole to open up beneath her, or for the submarine to burst and flood. Standing behind Knubbler, whose mouth was gapped open and frozen where he sat, were the four members of Dethklok that were on the submarine. All of them stared at Kay, eyebrows raised. She wasn't sure if their reaction was good or if they weren't happy at all. Kay figured that they were probably upset with her using their equipment.

"That was…" Knubbler tried to speak, but his words drifted off as he continued to stare.

"Intense," Pickles chimed in, drawing Kay's eyes to him.

"Brutal," Kay heard the guttural speech of Nathan say simply.

The other two, Skwisgaar and Murderface, just stood there. Kay felt a blush come to her face. She walked over to the soundboard and Knubbler.

"I'm going to do something special for you," she said to Knubbler. "I'll let you piece the song together and work things how you feel it should be. I'm going to head out," Kay said, wanting nothing more than to leave the room. "Get some coffee," she muttered as she turned and walked briskly out of the room.

Kay knew that Knubbler would be in heaven working on the song, and hoped that the song was good enough to impress the producer. Kay was very territorial about her music, barely letting Maggie stray from the idea in her head. Kay twitched at the idea of giving full control of the song over to someone outside of the band, and to someone who wasn't _her_.

She faintly heard her name being called, but chose to ignore it, wanting to get far away. She wasn't used to having an audience as she sang, unless it was a concert, which she didn't do too many of. A hot hand rested on her shoulder, shocking her and making her jump. She turned and saw Pickles standing next to her. He had mixed reactions clear as day on his face. Kay could see that there was anger, astonishment, wonder, joy, and mostly confusion dancing across his features.

"Hey," he began. "What's your problem?" There was the anger Kay saw.

"Sorry I used your equipment," she spat out at him. She tried to just turn and walk away, but Pickles didn't let her go, keeping his hand on her shoulder and pulling her back to him.

"Not that," he spoke. "Why are you mad? What the fuck did I do to piss you off? The others don't know what it means, but I know that song was about me. Wasn't it?" he asked, trying to get a clarification.

A deep, boiling rage bubbled inside of Kay. She laughed darkly at Pickles, and glared at him with a smirk. "Don't flatter yourself," she said. "You don't know what I've been through, or who all I've met. That song could be for anyone."

"Well, I'm the one that's here right now, and I know you're pissed at me," Pickles dug, trying to get inside Kay's mind. "Why are you mad at me?" He looked Kay in the eyes, his narrowing.

Kay's back pushed fully against the wall, trying to get away from Pickles, and his hands came up to either side of her, blocking her escape. Flashes of memories burst before her closed eyes every time she blinked, and every nerve in her body tingled.

"It's because of Abigail, ain't it?" Pickles said low in his throat, leaning closer to Kay. "You're pissed 'cause I like Abigail." Kay saw as he smirked wide. "And you didn't want me to look at her. 'Cause you want me." Pickles moved his hand down to Kay's waist, gripping it tight, and leaned in, leaving little space between them. He rubbed the tip of his nose to Kay's as he spoke again. "You wanna be my little whore, doncha?"

Kay snarled out loud, feeling a strength inside her she didn't know she had. Only one other time had someone said that to her, and at that time, she was small and helpless. Kay felt her arms move up between her and Pickles' body, and pushed him to the wall across from them.

"Don't you _ever_ say that again," she snarled, her eyes wide and wild and she stared into Pickles' eyes, whose were open wide in shock. "Only one man has ever treated me like that, and he became the gang's eunuch." Kay pushed Pickles into the wall as she spoke, feeling as if she were looking down at him. "To think I was starting to care about you."

Kay pulled away and stalked off, seething to herself, leaving Pickles in the hall. She didn't understand why she felt so passionate around the short drummer. It infuriated her, not being able to keep a reign on her emotions.

_Maybe I do want him,_ she thought to herself as she began to calm down. It wasn't impossible for her to love. She had before. And she had felt a kind of kinship with the man before the attack at the funeral. And hearing him say that he wanted to get Abigail back set her off the edge.

It infuriated her more when Pickles said the song was about him. Kay had been singing from the heart, bringing up past experiences. She hadn't been thinking of Pickles. She had been singing about a lot of people in that song.

Kay stopped walking, instantly turning to the side and slamming her fist into the wall, screaming out in rage as her fist connected. She stood there, her chest rising and falling to her heavy breathing, staring out into space. She had always been confident, something she had to learn quickly when she was young, and she knew what she wanted in life. At least, until now, she knew what she wanted. She shook her head and walked at a normal pace to the dining room.

Once she was in the dining room, Kay sat down at a table, asking for a big cup of coffee. Once it was placed in front of her and she was left alone, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one, reveling in the first pull. It made her feel light headed, and slightly high. She leaned back in her chair and sipped on the coffee, realizing then that she had a headache. She groaned a little to herself. The last thing she wanted was to have a migraine.

When a Klokateer walked by Kay asked him to get her some pain medicine for her headache. She was very happy to see the speed at which she received the pills. She smiled softly as she popped them in her mouth and washed them down with her coffee.

_Goodbye headache_, she thought to herself, closing her eyes and sighing.

* * *

Pickles was an amazing drummer, and was just as amazing on guitar and vocals. But all he mostly knew was music. He didn't have much experience when it came to the ladies, unless you counted the countless hookers and other one-nights. But Kay was something different to him. When they first met, he just thought she was another hot chick that was a fan of his work. Did he really want that coffee she bought him? No. But he figured she owed him for the incident. What shocked him the most was her gall and courage to ask him to fill in as the drummer.

He didn't realize what he was walking in to. And Pickles was even more astounded when he realized who Kay really was. The music she played to him made him remember nights at his place when he got the radio working in time to listen to the latest Half Breed song. The sweet melody of her voice soothed him on those sleepless nights. The first chance he got to listen to all the songs Half Breed released, he took it. He even found some songs that weren't well known or very public. So sitting in the recording studio Kay brought him to, and playing those songs, made him remember where he heard it before. It was a wild guess and a shot in the dark. They could have easily been a cover band or a band that was mimicking Half Breed, just like the countless bands nowadays that try to mimic Dethklok.

The few times that he was able to be around Kay were more than pleasant for Pickles. And he felt an attraction forming. He figured it was mostly the fact that he found her sexy. She was small, a little more than a head shorter than him, her figure was lithe. Her hair was impossibly straight, and long and full. He loved seeing her hair flowing down. Her crystal blue eyes looked so pure and pretty, he thought he could easily get lost in them.

Pickles remembered a few times that Kay would tell him little things about her past, but she never delved into it. And when he saw her eyes in the hallway a little while ago, they were no longer clear, but clouded in dark memories. She said that the song she had just come up with, with Knubbler, wasn't about him. He begged to differ.

The night they stayed at the bar, he woke up randomly and saw that Kay had rolled over and leaned against him. She seemed calm and happy in her sleep, so he chose not to disturb it, and fell back asleep. She even had a way to make people smile in the seemingly worst situations. He was even more shocked when she offered to talk to Abigail at the funeral. Pickles, until then, had actually forgotten all about Abigail, enjoying getting away from Dethklok and the looming break-up.

At that point, Pickles wasn't sure if he wanted to be near Abigail. But then the attack happened. He wasn't going to lie, he was worried about Abigail, but he was more concerned with his bandmate, Toki. Pickles and Nathan basically ran the band, and Toki was like their child. And after Nathan's apology at the funeral, he was willing to fully give up everything and be back in the band. He was even willing to give up the fight over Abigail, and let Nathan have her.

After the attack at the funeral, they lost Toki and Abigail. Pickles was no idiot. He saw how Kay reacted when he mentioned that they needed to get Abigail back. He made the comment for Nathan, but saw how Kay snapped in the moment, giving him the cold shoulder. It was becoming increasingly infuriating to him every time she made a snarky comment to him and walked off.

When he and the others went into the studio to talk to Knubbler about their songs, they walked into Kay singing a very powerful, dark song accompanied to matching instruments. They came up behind Knubbler, who just sat there with his mouth open like a fish. Pickles stood in awe, listening to the heart-wrenching vocal melody singing provocative words that sounded like they had double meanings.

Pickles felt like he could hear the longing in what Kay sang. And he wanted to reciprocate. But when she saw all of them standing in the studio, she blushed and all but ran out. Pickles had followed her to talk with her, and try to explain the Abigail situation as best he could, but she snapped at him again. He hated to admit it, but that action caused him to go over the breaking point. He was fully willing to have his way with her right then and there in the hallway. He was knocked back in pure shock as Kay pushed him back and growled in anger, saying something about another guy who did what he was trying to do.

He leaned against the wall, staring after this sexy rocker as she stormed off. He couldn't move, or speak, or breathe for that matter. A part of him whispered that he deserved it, and at that point, he wasn't going to disagree. But Pickles did tell himself that he was going to talk with Kay soon, when they both calmed down. There was a lot going on, and a lot of explanations needed.

Pickles pushed up from the wall when Kay was far out of sight and walked back into the studio. Nathan, Skwisgaar, and Murderface were standing by Knubbler, talking in low voices. As Pickles came near, he realized that they were talking about the song they had just heard.

"I'm tellin' you," Knubbler began, in his tone, it sounded like he was reiterating his point. "She just went in there, listened to the whole thing once, and began singing the second time. She didn't write down anything."

"Ands de guitars?" Skwisgaar asked.

"She came up with it on the spot," Knubbler answered.

"What about the other partsch?" Murderface asked, arms crossed over his chest, almost like he was guarding himself.

Knubbler practically moaned to himself like he was having an orgasm, leaning back in his chair and rolling his head back.

"She's amazing," Knubbler said dreamily. "She really knows how to play all those instruments." Pickles saw Skwisgaar and Murderface shift around on their feet. It wasn't new news for him. Kay had already told him before that she and the other girls learn each other's parts to give critiques. What he was surprised about was just how good it all sounded together. And she played all the parts of the song herself, the only help being Knubbler who just recorded the music and pasted it all together.

In that moment, Pickles had a realization. Nathan, Skwisgaar, and Murderface never found out who Kay really was. This fact made Pickles laugh out loud. The other four men turned around staring at the laughing drummer.

"What's so uh… funny?" Nathan asked. Pickles stopped laughing and wiped at the moisture in his eyes, a huge, cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"Kay, is Koneko, the lead singer of Half Breed."

Pickles just continued to smile as realization his is bandmates, and they stared at him in shock.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do no own Metalocalypse or the characters within. This story is pure fiction. I do not condone rape, drug use, under-aged sex, or anything else that is illegal.

Please read and review!

* * *

Ch.6

_Kay was held down by strong hands. Above her, that smug bastard straddled her, pinning her down with one arm, and a knife glancing over the skin of her cheek in the other hand. She was panicking. Her heart was pounding a million miles a second, and an icy cold sweat covered her body. It was just the two of them in the warehouse, and this bastard had finally gotten what he had threatened for a while._

_ "You ain't getting' away, you little cunt," he growled at her, his grin open and wide, his hot breath rolling onto her face. She could smell rotten food, cigarettes and weed on his breath, and felt like she was going to vomit._

_ In her mind, she cursed herself for being young, which meant she was weak. It was exactly what her grandparents had said to her. She was beginning to think that they were right all along._

_ Kay shrieked against the bastards hand over her mouth as he began to rip her top with the knife. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She was smart enough to know that this kind of reaction only fueled his desires and intentions, but she couldn't help it._

_ "You wanna be my little whore, doncha?" he whispered in her ear. She felt the release of the knife tugging on her shirt and knew that he had cut it all the way open. She closed her eyes and began sobbing; knowing what was next, and completely powerless to do anything to stop it._

_ She heard scuffling above her and felt the bastards' weight taken off her tiny body. When her eyes opened, she saw that two of the guys had returned back to the warehouse, and were dragging the bastard off of her._

_ "Take him out back," the older of the two guys said. "Give him what he deserves." The younger of the two that came back, Kay remember him saying his name was Kale, pushed the bastard down and dragged him out of the building and around back. The older of the two stood next to Kay, not looking at her as he pulled his jacket off and handed it to her. "You alright, little one?" he asked._

_ "Blade," Kay whimpered to the man, taking the offered jacket and putting it over her shirt that was falling off her body. At that moment, they heard a blood-curdling scream coming from behind the warehouse. Kay flinched. Blade sat on the cot next to Kay and put his hand on her head. She leaned on him and cried, thankful that she avoided the rape._

_ She knew what would come next. The bastard had been castrated, left to bleed out back. If he lived, he would be given the chance to take his belongings and leave, under supervision. But she also knew that something else would have to happen. That man wasn't the only one who threatened to rape her, among other things. She would have to grow a thick shell around her, and change everybody's perspective of who she was._

* * *

Kay jerked awake with a scream and her hand going for a throat as someone shook her awake. She saw nothing for a moment, and was completely in fear. It passed when her vision straightened out and she saw her surroundings. She remembered that she had laid her head down on the table in the dining room shortly after taking the pills for her headache. She was glad to note that it was gone.

She gasped and pulled her hand away from the throat of the person who woke her, shakily sitting back down in the seat.

"Sorry," she gasped out, averting her gaze and staring at the table.

"You alright?" the person asked.

Kay looked back at the waker, about to glare, but changed it to just look. Next to her, Pickles stood, obviously shaken, and looked back at her. She noticed that his demeanor was different. He was calmer, and it looked to her like he actually cared if she was okay.

"Bad dream," she told him. "Don't sleep when you have a headache and a tummy full of coffee and pain pills." She knew Pickles would berate her for taking pills, just like the girls did, but it was for a legitimate reason. To her surprise though, Pickles chuckled and sat down in a chair next to her.

"Yeah, happens to me sometimes," he said offhandedly. "That's when ya take more pills to forget."

Kay laughed at him, knowing that exact feeling. She had done it numerous times. For all the nightmares that assaulted her, she would drown them out with something, anything she could get her hands on.

One of the Klokateer waiters came up and asked if there was anything they needed. Pickles and Kay asked for coffee and something to eat. The two sat together in silence as their coffee and food came, eating and drinking. Kay was working on waking up, and something to say.

"I'm sorry," she said. It was the only thing she could think to say. Pickles looked at her, his cup of coffee on his lips. He finished his sip and set the coffee down.

"What're ya sorry for?" he asked.

"Everything. Just… everything." Kay grabbed a piece of bread off a plate and took a bite. "I'm just not used to all of this. And I don't have the girls with me. I'm just thrown off-kilter." She wasn't expecting Pickles to say anything. She wasn't even expecting him to accept her apology. And for a little while, she was content with the silence they shared.

"So who called you a whore and got his junk cut off?" Pickles asked after a while, surprising Kay. She almost choked on her coffee, and coughed a couple of times to clear her throat.

"I don't remember him too much," she said, setting the coffee down and looking at Pickles.

"Well, it must have been really metal for ya to go bat-shit crazy on me."

Kay sighed. "It wasn't too long after I joined the gang."

"What was the name of this gang ya keep talkin' about?" Pickles interjected, cutting Kay off.

"We didn't have a name. We weren't that big. But Kale found me on the streets one day, almost dead from starvation. Pretty much everyone there had a mutual understanding to take care of little kids. I was ten," she explained, looking up at Pickles. His eyes grew wide. "I was living with them at the warehouse for a couple weeks, and they were feeding me and trying to get me healthy again. Eventually, I just decided to stay there. Kale was sixteen at the time, and was all for letting me stay. Blade, the leader of the gang, wasn't sure. He didn't know what I could do to earn my keep.

"One day, Blade heard me sing to myself when I was warding off a panic attack. That night, he came back to the warehouse and handed me a guitar, sat me down in the middle of the warehouse, and told me to play. So, I did. I played the guitar, and started singing. I sang a lullaby; pretty much put everyone to sleep. Blade asked where I learned to play the guitar at that age. Told him I used to play with my mom."

Kay paused in her story and grabbed a piece of bread and nibbled on it. She noticed that Pickles was still sitting there, eyes trained on her, waiting for her to continue with her story. She felt a smile flash across her lips while she took a bite of the bread. It had been a very long time since she told anyone anything about when she was in the gang.

"For a while, I would hear a few of the guys in the gang grumbling about me being there. Blade told me that in order to earn my keep at the warehouse, I had to entertain everyone during dinner. Every night, I'd sit in a chair in the middle of the warehouse and play the guitar and sing. After I was done, they would give me a plate of food. But some guys weren't happy about me being there. And one day, when everybody was out getting food and supplies, I was left behind. That's when it happened. That bastard…" Kay trailed off, remembering the day.

"He went by the name Razor. That's all I really remember. That, and his ugly mug. He pinned me down to one of the beds, tormented me, and cut my shirt open. I thought he was going to rape me."

"He didn't?" Pickles asked, confusion in his tone.

Kay gave a humorless laugh. "Nope. I got lucky. Blade and Kale came back at that point. They pulled Razor off me. Kale took him out back behind the warehouse. Kale told me that he used a rusty knife and wrestled Razor to the ground, then cut his pants off and sawed off his balls and dick. I'm not sure if Razor survived. We know he passed out, and when he came to, he got his shit and left the warehouse. But after that, we don't know. And I'm fine with that," once again, Kay looked at Pickles. "After that, no one fucked with me for a while. They knew I was protected. But, I changed things around after that, earned my keep in other ways, and showed everyone that they couldn't get to me emotionally."

"How'd ya do that?" the drummer asked. He watched as Kay shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee.

"That's a story for another day." She smiled at Pickles, a smile that was empty, hollow, but sent a clear message that she wasn't going to say anymore. Kay figured that Pickles got the message. He nodded his head to her and smiled back.

"So," Pickles spoke to her, grabbing her attention quickly. The two locked eyes and Pickles smirked at her. "You want me, doncha?" he asked, smugly. Kay felt her cheeks redden.

"You're famous," She calmly replied immediately. "Who wouldn't want you for that?"

Pickles laughed. "Nah, I don't think it's that."

Kay growled low in her throat. "So I have a thing for the dangerous ones. I have issues," she made another excuse, turning away from Pickles' smirk. That answer seemed to satisfy him. He leaned back in this chair, folding his arms across his chest.

"Ya know," he drew out, making Kay close her eyes and sigh. "Nathan wants Abigail."

"And you do too," Kay finished for him. Pickles laughed.

"Nah," he said flippantly. "Don't want her anymore." Pickles just looked at Kay, who looked at him in minor shock. He stood up from his chair, smiling. "I'll see ya later."

Pickles walked away, leaving Kay confused. He simply says he doesn't want Abigail, then abruptly leaves. She sat in her chair, trying to understand it but came to no conclusion. She figured she would never be able to understand the enigma that was Pickles.

Shaking her head, Kay stood up and walked out of the dining room. There was still a lot on her mind and she needed to work on figuring things out, to help Dethklok save the world. She decided that she needed to meditate, and search deep inside her soul in order to find out what was stopping her from using her powers.

Kay stopped a Klokateer on her way to her room, and asked to have candles sent to her room. Not too long after she entered her room, the candles arrived. She was happy to see that an assortment of candles were given to her. She set the candles around the room, on the ground and on the surfaces of the dresser and nightstand. After lighting each candle, she sat cross-legged in the middle, absorbing the warmth of the gentle flames. She calmed her breathing, and closed her eyes, focusing on an old mantra she had learned years before. She slowly felt everything melt away and her body became feather-light. She could hear herself sigh contentedly.

* * *

Pickles felt like punching himself in the face as he walked away from Kay. He was feeling gay as shit, and totally unmetal. But he was really curious about what had made the girl snap. He couldn't believe that she was so young when she was in that gang. And the little temptress left him on a cliffhanger! He wanted to know more now about what else happened. He wanted to know how she ended up in the gang in the first place. There was so much about this woman that intrigued him and made him crave more.

But was made him the most embarrassed and stupid, was what he was about to say. The moment his mouth opened to talk about Abigail when he and Kay were quiet, he wanted someone to smack him. It was already completely gay for him to show that he cared, but he wanted to outright tell Kay that he wanted her.

After she left him in the hallway, Pickles went back into the studio and told his bandmates that Kay was more than just some random girl he met. They had all sat down, and the others said that Half Breed was really the only non-metal band they all listened to growing up. Half Breed had been around for years. They admired the band's quick rise to fame, and how the band never became sellouts, and continuously stayed on top. At least, until Dethklok was formed. Dethklok immediately became popular and had knocked Half Breed down in popularity.

As the others talked about music, the conversation spawning from their Discussion of Kay's band, Pickles sat silently, thinking about the girl. It had annoyed him that he didn't know what was going on in her mind, and he wanted to know what made her tick and why she was pissed.

It had taken a few hours for him to finally get the courage to track the blond vixen down and talk with her again, this time more calmly. And when he finally asked around, he was directed to the dining room. Pickles was surprised to see that she laid her head down on the table in the dining room, and was sleeping. He was also surprised that no one had woken her up.

He had walked up to her and saw her face scrunched up as if she were in pain. He also heard faint whimpering coming from her, and instantly became worried, which made him feel gay. He justified the feeling to himself that it would actually be gay if he showed his worry. So, he placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her slightly to wake up.

Instantly, he saw her eyes shoot wide open, the black pupils covering the whole iris. He was taken off guard, again, by her sheer speed as she shot her arm out, fingers curved like claws, and it wrapped around the front of his neck. He stood still, trying not to even shake, as Kay came into realization that it was him next to her. Fortunately she hadn't clamped her hand around his throat, and there were no marks.

Pickles sat next to Kay and waited for her to calm down. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to her. He knew she was pissed at him, but he didn't understand why. He tried to make her laugh with a drug abuse reference. It worked. But in her laugh, he heard a tone that told him that she understood what he meant. He had to remind himself that she told him before that she used to use. He didn't know what, and he wasn't going to pressure her.

The drummer was even more shocked when she apologized. He didn't know what she was apologizing for, and all she would say was, "everything." He decided to just take it and roll with it. And he felt like there would be no end to the shock he was getting when she began to talk about an incident that happened when she was first in that gang she mentions.

So young…

She was so young to be in a gang, let alone have a near rape experience. It made him wonder what happened before to push her into that gang. He noted that she said she was on the streets, starving, when she was brought to the gang. He figured there would be even more intense stories when Kay said she wasn't going to tell him any more.

And then, he had to open his damn mouth and insert is fucking foot in it. He had noticed that Kay grew defensive when mention of Abigail rose up. And for some reason, he wanted to explain that he was going to let Nathan have Abigail. No, Pickles hadn't talked to his bandmate about the missing woman yet. They hadn't discussed anything concerning Abigail or Toki since the attack, really. The last thing Pickles knew for sure was that Nathan said he wanted Pickles in the band more than having Abigail as his girl.

The moment he realized what he was about to say to Kay, he got up and said goodbye, wanting to get away and not look like some dildo to her. He knew she was lost and confused when he ran off, but he'd rather have that than have her look at him in pity for being gay as shit.

He ran into the guys in the recreational room, lounging on the couch, mind-numbingly staring at the TV and some random show that was playing. Pickles walked over and sat down, hearing the word "alien" from the TV and deciding that he would give it some attention.

* * *

Kay heard her breathing before anything else as she came out of her meditation. She eventually heard the crackle of a few of the candles and dared to open an eye as she continued her breathing. Lots of the candles were burned down halfway, being somewhat small. It also served to tell her how long she had been in a trance. By the way the candles looked, she was meditating for at least two hours.

Slowly rising from her seated position, careful not to topple over from lack of use of her limbs, Kay stood and began walking around the room, blowing out each candle, the mantra she had in her mind still resonating as she ended her session. Once all the candles were out did she dare to sigh. Kay had not gotten any answers from meditating.

She left the room and began walking aimlessly down the halls, thinking back at her meditation. She could barely make a connection to the spirit realm at all. And she spent a lot of energy trying to maintain it. She tried to examine her astral body, but came to no conclusions as to what could be blocking her powers.

Out loud, she sighed again, walking slowly, not really caring where she was going.

* * *

Charles Offdensen rubbed a hand on the bridge of his nose. Since the attack at the funeral, he had not rested. He was sure that the sub's store of coffee was running low with his excessive use of the addictive, caffeinated beverage. He opened his eyes and looked over at Ishnifus Meaddle, who still stood next to him. The priest hadn't rested much either, opting to stay by Charles' side, but showed no sign of wear. Charles raised an eyebrow at the man who just stared forward at the screens that were ever-changing.

"I need to take a break," Charles proclaimed. He knew someone would take charge if need be while he was gone. He just didn't know how long he would be gone for. The man stood from his chair and walked out of the command center. Moving around had him thinking that he just needed a brisk walk to reinvigorate him.

_I should check on the boys,_ he thought to himself, realizing that it had been since the attack that he'd last seen them. He wondered how they were all holding up. Worry washed over his mind as it drifted to Toki's fate. He shook the thoughts out of his head and eventually found the four remaining boys in one of the recreational rooms staring glassy-eyed at the TV.

"Glad to see you all are holding up," Charles spoke to them shortly. He wasn't angry with them. He was glad that they seemed fine. He just didn't know what to think about how they would react. The four boys blinked and turned to Charles, all saying hello to him.

"Oh, uh…" Nathan began, smirking and chuckling about something. "So, Kay's no ordinary dildo." For whatever reason, Nathan thought this information was pertinent for Charles. The CFO decided to give in and hear him out about the extra person that had somehow gotten aboard the sub.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked, giving in to the curiosity. He hadn't wanted the girl with them in the first place, and was actually planning on finding some place they could drop her off. He was just confused as to her knowledge of Ishnifus Meaddle.

"No, dude," Pickles piped up, a smile on his face. "Get this, Kay's in a band. She's Koneko, from Half Breed!"

All four of the boys nodded to Charles, smiling. Charles scowled in confusion. That was a turn of events he hadn't seen coming. If what they claimed was true, then Kay was in fact no ordinary person.

"Good to know," he said offhandedly. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you were all doing alright. I'll let you guys be." Charles waved goodbye to them and walked off. This revelation brought a new set of concerns to the surface that needed to be addressed. He knew what he needed to do next.

* * *

Plain metal wall after plain metal wall passed by. Kay just continued to walk, trying to understand things. She saw a person in a nice suit farther down the hall she was in, heading for her. She was surprised to see that it was Charles, as the two got closer together. Kay lifted her hand and waved to the man she rarely got to see, giving him a friendly smile. Charles waved to her in return, but didn't smile. This caused Kay to stop smiling.

"Kay," Charles began, walking up to her. "Just the person I was looking for."

"Uh oh…" Kay groaned. She felt her stomach turn a little, worried about what this man she barely knew would say to her. To her surprise, Charles smiled a little.

"Walk with me." Kay nodded as the man commanded her to follow him. For a little while, the two just walked in silence, side by side. "It has come to my attention that there is more to you than there appears." Kay looked up at the man with a raised eyebrow, questioning what he knew. "I hear that you are not in just any band, but are, in fact, Koneko, the lead singer of Half Breed."

Kay leaned her head back and closed her eyes nodding to the man.

"Yes, I am," she agreed. "Pickles told you?"

"Yes. Now, this changes a lot of things. For instance, we still have that photo circulating."

"No one will recognize me."

"Are you sure?" Charles asked. He looked at Kay incredulously. She just nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure. Only once have the girls and I taken our masks off. And it was only for a second," she explained, trying to ease the situation. "Besides, we were heavily makeuped during that interview."

"Yes, I remember that interview," Charles commented. "It was shortly after Dethklok came out and hit the number one spot in music." He then looked down at Kay, who smiled at him.

"Yep. We did that stunt to get some ratings," she laughed. Charles smiled.

"Now, what is your connection to this prophecy?" he asked her, finally getting to the main point that Kay could feel. She smiled sadly and looked to the ground.

"Well, you know that Half Breed was about to sign with Roy. I said no. I walked out of the building and ran away, with nothing but the money in my pocket, and the clothes I was wearing. I'm not sure how I made it. I guess all the years before prepared me." Kay thought back to leaving the record company. "I wandered around the earth, going to all different kinds of religions and cults and other of the like. Somehow, I ended up getting clues about a secret one, the Church of the Black Klok. When I finally got in the cave, there was no one there. I looked at the prophecy on the wall. When I turned around, Ishnifus stood there, with a few other followers. He explained more about the prophecy.

"He told me that in the prophecy, if they were visited by a young person alone, basically me, then they knew to listen to another part of the prophecy, and that the Metalocalypse was now moving forward. They knew that soon after that meet, the five souls would meet. Ishnifus told me that I was part of the prophecy, someone known as the White Mystic. My role in this prophecy," Kay trailed off, looking at Charles, who waited expectantly, "is the protector of the five souls."

"You will protect them?" Charles asked, almost condescendingly. Kay knew that it was hard to understand, given her appearance. She giggled.

"Yes. You see, you know how mathematics is known as a universal language?" she asked. At Charles nod of understanding, she continued. "Well, you can take math to any planet with sentient life and be able to communicate with math. Well, the same can be said for music. A lot of people believe that the first spoken words of our ancestors was music. Singing holds a special power. I am able to harness it, and in a sense, control people and creatures. The last time I used it was when I came over to Mordhaus with Pickles. I saw the wolves. I kinda wanted to freak the others out, so I jumped down in the yard." Charles raised an eyebrow as Kay explained that day a little. "The wolves were stalking me, but I sang a few notes and calmed them down. They ended up nuzzling with me."

"So," he began. "You have a special power with your voice."

"Yes." Kay was firm in the admission. "But," she started solemnly. "Ishnifus made me aware of an issue. For some reason, I can't use my powers. Something's blocking them. I don't know what, or who. So for now, I'm powerless as I try to figure it all out."

"But once your powers are back, you'll be able to protect the band?"

"Yes. And once my powers are back, I can try and find Toki."

Charles nodded in understanding or acceptance. Kay wasn't sure which, but she was willing to take it. At least someone other than Ishnifus understood. Kay knew that she probably wouldn't be able to tell any of the other band members, seeing as how they didn't seem to understand much of anything, unless it concerned their music.

"The only thing I don't understand is Selatcia," Kay whispered, becoming lost in thought about the strange demon man. "He's not from this world, and he seems to have immense powers. So why is he interested in our world? Why is he interested in Dethklok?"

"I don't know," Charles answered. Kay could hear the disappointment in his voice. "Maybe that's something you can figure out."

Kay looked up at Charles, who looked down at her. Their eyes met and a mutual understanding passed between them.

"So," Charles began. "Is there any family I should post guards to protect?"

"Not any blood that I care about," Kay scoffed. "My band is my family. Plus two others."

"And who all are they?"

"Well, there are the girls in the band. My drummer is sick right now, and confined to the bed. Discretion would be imperative. The other two are guys. You should remember one of them. You remember when Half Breed first came on the scene? We had a sixth member."

"That's right, yes. There was a male vocalist. What happened?"

"There was a kind of… falling out." Kay smiled to herself. "He moved away and quit the band. He's like a brother to me, though. And the other guy Pickles knows. Kale, he owns the bar The Sly Fox."

"Ah, yes. I remember Pickles mentioning that place. Well, if you give me the places where they are at, I can get teams out to watch over them, if necessary."

Kay smiled wide at Charles' words. He was a 'down-to-earth' kind of person; the type that like to get right to the point. Someone could easily confuse this with apathy, but Kay saw that the reason he wanted to get right to the point was to not waste time so that no one has to worry about anything, and so that everyone could be happy. She told him where to find everyone that mattered to her.

Shortly after, the two split ways. Charles had mentioned needing sleep and Kay bid him farewell, continuing her aimless wandering. Like her physical body, Kay let her mind begin to wander, thinking of possibilities as to why her powers were blocked, contemplating why Selatcia was interested in this world and the band, who this strange 'man' was, and wondered if everyone she cared about would be alright, or if they were targets in the coming apocalypse.

She eventually came back to her room and figured it was time for her to rest. She was beginning to become engulfed in worry about the safety of her loved ones. Kay entered her room and peeled her clothes off, feeling exhaustion hit her then. She had forgotten that she had an eventful few days, and not the best of sleep. She didn't bother with putting any clothes on as she slid between the soft sheets of the bed. She wanted to feel free, as it would help calm her down.

* * *

Pickles came out of his trance, staring at the TV, and realized that a lot of time had passed since he stepped foot in the room. He vaguely remembered Skwisgaar leaving, mentioning something about making himself look nice for the ladies, even though there were none on the sub except for Kay. And Murderface had said watching the TV was becoming gay, so he left to go do whatever it was Murderface does. All that were left were Nathan and Pickles.

Pickles looked over to the other side of the couch and saw that Nathan looked as if he were in an open-eyed, open-mouthed coma. Pickles felt like he were coming out of one himself, and he probably was. He figured now was as good a time as any to discuss something semi-important with his friend.

"Hey, Nathan," he called out, grabbing the singer's attention. Nathan wiped away saliva from his chin and turned to Pickles, giving him his attention. "I wanna talk to ya 'bout somethin'."

Nathan grunted in response.

"It's about Abigail." Pickles watched closely to judge Nathan's reaction. He noticed that Nathan focused a bit more to the mention of the girl he fell for. "I know ya said that you don't want her if it meant I wouldn't be in the band."

Nathan nodded, grunting a bit more.

"Well." Pickles felt anything but metal and brutal, talking about feelings. "I'm cool with you and her together. I'm… over it now." Pickles chuckled at the revelation. He figured that Nathan probably wouldn't be. "I'll help ya find her. But if you still want her, then she's all yours dude."

Pickles looked at Nathan fully now. The two stared at each other, silence expanding between them. Pickles wasn't sure if he had upset his friend or not. He had hoped not, since they had just patched up their last fight.

"Kay's a brutal chick," Nathan responding, grunting.

It took Pickles a moment to realize what his friend meant by that statement. But when he did, he couldn't keep the smile off his face, or keep the laugh down inside him. Nathan was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. Sure, things usually go over his head. But there are rare moments, like this one, where the hulking essence of metal and brutality understood the little hints.

"Dude, you have no idea how brutal." Pickles laughed and shook his head. He looked at Nathan and saw him smiling, once again seeing that his friend understood that Pickles wasn't going to explain further.

"Gay as shit to show feelings," Nathan grunted out, reminding the redhead of what wasn't metal.

"Yeah, yeah." Pickles stood up from the couch and punched Nathan lightly on the shoulder as he walked out of the rec room. He was too tired to stay up any longer. A lot of things had come to light, mostly concerning Kay, and it took a toll on his energy. As he lay in his bed, he thought of ideas to woo Kay. He figured it shouldn't be too hard, considering he knew she liked him, even if she wouldn't admit it herself. He fell asleep with a cheesy grin plastered on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Metalocalypse or the characters within. This story if pure fiction. I do not condone drug use, under-aged sex, or anything else that is deemed illegal.

* * *

Ch.7

A few days passed. It was a relative peacefulness that Kay could barely enjoy. She noticed that Pickles and the other were making more of an attempt to be around her, and include her in things, such as playing board games. She thought it was real cute when Skwisgaar offered to teach her the 'fine arts ofs fast guitars.'

But she spent most of her time trying to get away from them, to be alone. She wanted to figure out why her powers were blocked. But she didn't want the others knowing what she was doing. She figured anything to do with energy and the supernatural would go right over their heads. Sadly, she realized too late that she should have taken advantage of the peace they were given in those few days.

"What the _fuck_, Charles?!" All four of the bandmates of Dethklok screamed out at their manager, after seeing a giant group of random people. They were all meeting up in the hanger on Charles' order. Kay assumed by the looks of these people that the guys would call them dildos and douchebags and the like. But the closer she looked at these people, the more familiar they became to her.

She took a step back behind the band as she realized that she was staring at the family members of Dethklok. And what a bunch of people they were. All of them were standing, or sitting, glares being sent to the guys. Kay felt that this was not a good time to say anything, or move… or breathe.

Charles stood between the band and their families, not batting an eye about the situation. This was where it seemed as if the man was nothing but apathetic to everything. But Kay could see the reason behind their arrivals.

"It was imperative that we took your families out of harm's way," Charles tried to reason. Kay knew that it was a lost cause, though. She remembered watching one of the interviews where the host tracked down their parents. It was clear in that interview that the guys didn't really care much about the fate of their families.

"What have you boys done now to mess up the world?" Kay heard one of the women say, a really thick north-western accent heavy in her speech. She had the distinct feeling that this angry woman was Pickles' mom. As if to answer, Pickles shifted his feet.

"It's not our fault, ma," Pickles tried to explain to his mother. It was times like these that Kay was glad her parents weren't around anymore.

"The hell it is," another woman spoke. Kay looked at the woman who spoke, and noted offhandedly that she was the biggest of the women who were there. Kay saw Nathan turn his head to look away, and made the assumption that this woman was his mom.

With the rest of the people, she was able to make educated guesses as to which family member belonged to which band member. She smiled lightly to herself as she completed the game, noting that the one, tall, silent, robed woman had to be Toki's mother. The bickering continued between Dethklok and their families, but Kay didn't pay any attention to it.

She saw that another transport sub was coming in to dock and was curious to know who was on board. Charles turned around and saw the transport come in as well, commenting that they were late. The doors to the sub opened and Kay gasped as she saw who exited the vehicle. Michelle leaned in a wheelchair that was pushed by Amara; they were the first two to come out. Maggie and Trista walked out together, looking around at the interior of the giant submarine they were all in. Kale sauntered out, a bag thrown over his shoulder. Finally, the last person in the transport stepped out. He was tall, taller than Skwisgaar and Toki, with pure black, shaggy hair, and sparkling brown eyes. For an Asian, he was almost impossibly tall, but it was one of the quirks that Kay loved about the man. He looked over at Kay and smiled wide, opening his arms.

Before she knew was she was doing, Kay ran over to the man and leapt in his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Kai!" she squealed out loud. She squeezed him tight in her arms, and felt the embrace return. Kai was twisting around, swinging the short, blond girl around. He finally set her down. Kay felt like she would cry in joy. It had been so long since she had last seen this man.

She noted that the hanger had grown completely silent, other than her and Kai. She turned around and saw that all eyes were trained on her, and saw that Pickles was glaring in her direction. Before Kay could do anything or say anything, the girls came over and hugged her. Michelle slapped her with the back of her hand, joking about leaving the house and possibly nearly dying. Maggie handed Kay an over-stuffed bag and explained that she had quickly packed some of Kay's necessities and clothes, which Kay hugged her friend for. Trista walked up to Pickles, who looked at her in shock, and hugged the man, leaving everyone in the hanger in shock. As if nothing happened, she let him go and walked back over to Kay, who was trying hard to stifle her laugh. Pickles had the face of a deer in the headlights, as he stood stock still, and his eyes wide.

Kay grabbed the attention of her friends, motioning them to follow her wordlessly. She didn't want to be in the middle of any family drama that would crop up due to the unexpected arrival of all these people. In her mind, she made a mental note to have a talk with Charles about this.

She took them down numerous hallways until finally they came to rest in front of the door to the music studio. Kay didn't pause as she opened the door, ushering her friends in. joy crossed her emotions spectrum as she saw Knubbler sitting at the soundboard. She wondered if the man ever did anything else other than stay in the studio, and if he did, where did he go?

"Kay!" Knubbler beamed in shock and excitement. "Who are they?" Knubbler motioned to Kay's friends.

"Knubbler, these are my friends. Trista, Amara, Michelle, Maggie, Kale, and Kai." Kay motioned to each friend as she gave their names. They, in turn, waved a greeting to Knubbler.

"I remember you," Maggie spoke, pointing a gentle finger in Knubbler's direction.

"You do?" he asked.

"Yeah, you came to us a long time ago to produce an album with us."

"That was you on the phone?" Knubbler leaned forward as he asked, shock in this voice, his LED eyes growing wide.

"Yep! I'm Hebi!" Maggie responded, using her band name.

"Hey Dick, play the song we worked on," Kay prompted. She turned to her friends, a huge smile on her face, her eyes shining in excitement. "I think you guys are gonna love this."

Knubbler turned around in his chair and searched for the song Kay had recorded, and played it. Kay was even happier to hear that the alterations Knubbler made to the song didn't take away from the vision she had for it.

The rest of Half Breed, along with Kai and Kale, listened to the song, shaking with chills and goose bumps in a few sections, and looking at Kay with wide eyes. As the song ended, Kay jumped up and down with little jumps, excited to hear what her friends would think of the song. They had always been supportive, and admired the works she produced herself. And this time was no different. They cheered Kay and Knubbler for the song, patting the short singer on the head and back, loving every bit of the song.

"So," Trista began, her tone saying that she wanted to speak of something other than the song. "You want to tell us what's going on? Why were we forcefully escorted here?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Umm…" Kay muttered, trying to think of how best to explain it. "Let's go to the dining room, get some coffee and food. I'll explain on the way."

They all nodded in acceptance and left as a group, walking down the halls as Kay led them to the dining room.

"I guess you can say it all started when we were at Crystal Mountain Records, and you all wanted me to sign the record deal. When I left, I wandered the world," she spoke calmly. Of all the people who would understand what was going on, it was this group. "Well, the last place I went to, before I came home, was in an underground cave. I got lots of hints and clues of this organizations existence and whereabouts through all other religions and cults. This group was known as the Church of the Black Klok. The high priest's name is Ishnifus Meaddle. He's aboard the sub. He told me of a prophecy about an apocalypse called the 'Metalocalypse,' and told me that there were five souls who would rise up and lead the people from the darkness. There were two others that would lead and protect these five souls. One was known as the Dead Man. The other was a young person called the White Mystic."

Kay looked behind her to her friends and saw that they, at least, were able to understand the situation. They all knew of Kay's involvement with magic and energy.

"You're the White Mystic?" Trista asked, though it was rhetorical. But Kay nodded in answer.

Kay informed them more of the situations that had happened around her and how she had just been sucked into it all. Eventually, they arrived at the dining room. But they weren't alone. Sitting in the chairs of the table, sulking as if little children being scolded by their parents, were the four members of Dethklok. Kay and her friends still decided to sit down at the table, and gave the waiter their orders.

Kay pulled out a cigarette and lit it, giving a small introduction between both groups of friends. She paused.

_Friends?_ She questioned to herself, thinking of Dethklok. She wasn't sure she could consider them friends. Acquaintances? Yes. Sex interest? Only Pickles. But friends?

She mentally shook her head, telling herself that she would come back to that thought at another time.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Pickles," Kai spoke out, his deep voice booming. "That picture caused quite the buzz." Kay felt her face redden at the mention of that damned photo. "Glad I can finally meet the new boyfriend."

Kay's eyes popped open wide, and she coughed on the inhaled smoke. She stood from her chair abruptly and pounded on her chest, feeling the tears in her eyes from the pain in her lungs. Once her coughing was under control, she looked up at Kai, who was seated across the table from her, and felt one of her eyes twitching.

"Boyfriend?" she choked out, beginning to cough again from the attempt at speech.

"Oh, you two aren't together?" Kai asked, a cheeky smirk on his lips. Kay knew he had a hidden meaning. "Could have fooled me in that picture."

Kay tried to growl, but only coughed again. Once it was under control, she sat back down in her chair and glowered at her friend. All the while, Pickles laughed.

"Nah, we're not dating," Pickles explained once he stopped laughing. "I thought you two were together," he said, motioning between Kay and Kai. Kay banged her forehead on the table. "I thought she just wasn't saying anything about a boyfriend."

Kai laughed jovially. He threw his head back with booming laughter, and Kay could feel it vibrating through the metal table they sat at. She knew what would come next.

"Oh, we used to," Kai said, confirming her thoughts. "We were young. It was well over ten years ago. But, we broke up. I still love the little vixen, though." Kay lifted her head from the table and stared darkly in the eyes of her friend as he spoke. He leaned forward narrowing his eyes and smiling darkly in return. "She has a way of… pulling you in."

Kay attempted to growl again, and felt a small victory as the growl came and she wasn't reduced to coughing up smoke again. She remembered then that she had the cigarette between her fingers still, and lifted her hand up and ashed it.

"I. Hate. You." She worded, emphasizing each word to the man she used to date. He would pay for the 'vixen' comment.

"What happened?" Pickles asked, surprising Kay with his curiosity. Kai smiled darkly at Kay, but beamed with joy at Pickles and the others of Dethklok as he explained.

"Well, when she met me and the girls, she and Kale moved in with us. We were both battling depression and we, well, we helped each other out." Kai looked at the still fuming Kay and gave her a warm smile. "She was battling a lot more than just a depression at the time. But we used each other as a crutch, and it formed a relationship. Do you guys remember when Half Breed first came out? There was a sixth member." Kai continued at the nod of the other guys. "Well, that was me. I was lead guitar and male vocals. But, shortly after we got on the scene, Kay and I broke up. It was mutual. I decided it was best if I gave the girls some space, so I quit the band and left."

"Sos, hows was she ins de beds?" Skwisgaar asked, leaning in and smirking.

Kay felt mortified at his question. She knew her face was completely red with embarrassment. And she couldn't escape the feeling that they were all doing this to get a rise from her. And given what she knew about the Swedish guitar god, she was more surprised at herself for being surprised about his question. She had figured he would ask something along those lines before, but just wasn't prepared for it. Kai, of course, was amused by this, and continued to laugh.

"You do realize I was a child back then, right?" I asked Skwisgaar, hoping maybe he would get the picture.

To Kay's right, she heard Kale sniggering. She looked at the man who was smirking at her, and scowled at him.

"Yeah, and you were also the epitome of the perfect child," Kale retorted sarcastically. Kay sighed and leaned her chin in her hand, beginning to give up the battle. She looked at Kai, waiting for him to stop chuckling.

"Well," Kai began. "Let's just say it was some of the best I've ever had." The man looked over at Kay and winked at her. She just stared back. She could hear Pickles and Skwisgaar mulling over that information.

"Well, that's not much of a consolation, given you haven't been with many girls since me," Kay bit back darkly. A dark smirk played on her lips and she saw the boys of Dethklok look between the two ex-lovers.

"It's decidedly more than the ones you've been with since me," Kai shot back, amusement in his voice. The two knew that neither would be upset by these words. They just continued to smirk and glare at each other.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be a good girl." Kay closed her eyes, then opened them once again and looked to Dethklok. "So, where are your families?"

Instantly, the four men of Dethklok looked away from Kay, staring around the room. Kay could hear the girls giggling, and she too was trying hard not to laugh.

"We loscht them in their roomsch," Murderface boldly announced.

Kay smiled in return to them, standing up from her chair and walked out of the room. She heard someone's footfalls behind her as another person jogged to catch up to her. She continued walking, but let them meet up. She turned her head to her side to see Pickles walking next to her, staring forward, a look of contemplation framing his features. She looked forward again, and the two walked silently through the submarine.

Finally coming to rest in a lounge room, the two set foot inside and found someplace to sit. The room had dark red wall with gold trim. There were plush, dark red, velvet chairs and couches throughout the room with dark wood tables. On one end of the room was an elegant fireplace with couches surrounding it. It was far from the brutality the band constantly portrayed, yet seemed to show another side that made the mystique grow. Kay navigated over to the fireplace and sat down on the couch, and wasn't surprised that Pickles sat next to her. Together they sat in silence for a while, until Pickles broke the silence.

"So why didn't Charles get your family?" he asked.

"Because I don't have a family," Kay responded quietly, staring into the fire before them.

"What do ya mean? What happened?"

"They died." Kay heard Pickles shift and knew he was looking at her, wanting answers. And she grew tired of skirting around the topic. She closed her eyes and bent her head down, sighing. After taking a deep breath and looking back into the flames, she told her story. "It all began with my parents, when they were young. My father was in a gang; my mother was a cop. My mother was working undercover, trying to bust my father's gang. My dad saw her sneaking around one night and caught her by surprise. He beat her and raped her. She went to the hospital and a report was sent out. The report was sent to my dad's parents. Somehow, my grandparents were able to find my dad, and they took him away from the gang and confined him to their house. About a month later, my mom was feeling bad and went back to the hospital. That's when she found out that she was pregnant. Another report was sent to my grandparents, along with a DNA test, proving that the same person that raped my mom was the father of the child. My grandparents contacted my mom and forced the two to have a shotgun wedding.

"My grandparents are very old fashion. My grandfather came from a noble family line, and my grandmother was very stern and ran her father's company. So, my parents were forced to marry. They didn't love each other until a while after I was born. My grandparents then believed that my mom doctored the DNA results, since I looked nothing like my dad. My parents just ignored them. My dad loved me. Then, my parents had two more kids, my little brothers. And all three of us looked nothing like my dad. Don't know why, but my mom's genetics are really strong, and even though Asian genetics are strong, we still came out with blond hair and blue eyes. We looked just like my mom. My grandparents were still firm on their belief that none of us were my dad's kids, even with testing proof. They called my mom a liar, and a whore."

"They're a bunch of douchebags," Pickles piped in when Kay was quiet for a moment, thinking of her past. She looked at the man and smiled, nodding her head in agreement.

"Then came the day that my parents died," she dragged out almost breathlessly, as if it caused her pain. "My parents were shot in the chest. And they died in the hospital. I was holding their hands when they both died. We were then sent to live with my grandparents. They beat us, for everything. My mom was fluent in a few languages, and had been teaching us. But the moment we spoke something that wasn't in Japanese, we got whipped. We were to never leave the house other than for school. The list goes on, but it was grueling.

"But then, one night, my baby brother was shot in the back. My parent's killer came back, and tried to kill me, but got my baby brother instead. Alex was so pure, so innocent, he didn't understand why he was in pain, or what pain was. He didn't understand why he was so cold, or why it was getting harder to breathe. He laid in my arms and cried with me until his life drained away. Alex was the only reason I suffered at my grandparents place. He was the only thing grounding me there. And when he left, nothing was keeping me. So, I went back to my grandparents, snuck into my room and grabbed my bags that I already had packed in case I ever decided to up and leave, and I left. I never looked back. I never went back. I was on the streets fending for myself and selling my stuff for food for a few months. I was finally completely out and starved when Kale found me. And that's when I got in the gang."

Kay looked up at Pickles. He was staring back at her with wide eyes, and his mouth open. Kay smiled sadly and looked at the fireplace.

"How old were ya?" Pickles asked.

"I was seven when my parents died. It was around six months later, when I turned eight, when Alex died." Kay battled hard within herself not to cry. She hadn't cried in a long time about her past. There was nothing she could do, but move on.

"Have ya ever… called them?" he asked hesitantly.

"Once," Kay replied, smiling. "They said that they hadn't realized I even left. They didn't care. They had hoped I had died. They don't want me around. That was actually right after Half Breed got famous. They don't even know I'm in Half Breed. Pretty sure it wouldn't matter anyways."

"Well, at least you don't have to deal with your family," Pickles muttered, his voice disdainful. Kay chuckled low and smiled to herself.

The two stood up from the couch and walked through the halls, eventually ending up in front of Kay's room. Shrugging to herself mentally, she opened the door, noting that the bags the girls brought her were placed inside.

"Holy shit," Pickles muttered beside. "What the fuck have you been doin'?"

Kay looked at the man, then back at the room in curiosity. Around the room were candles scattered across the floor and the surfaces of the furniture inside the room. There were also incense holders with burnt out sticks. The candles and incense were placed around in a circular pattern with one large, red candle in the middle. A bell was placed next to the red candle, with a white bowl of purified water in front of both. In front of those items was an empty space where Kay would sit and meditate.

Kay felt her cheeks flush as she was caught red-handed.

"I… uh…" she stammered. "I was meditating," she confessed. She looked up at the drummer and saw him examine the items in the room.

"Ahh, okay," he simply replied. Kay was surprised by his easy-going persona towards her craft materials. "Well, I'll let you go so you can meditate again."

Kay looked up and saw the man smirk and wink at her. She smiled at him as she walked into her room and waved goodbye. She was glad to finally have some peace again. Out of habit, she walked around the room and lit the candles and placed new sticks of incense in the holders, letting their scent and presence calm the energy in the room. She walked over to the bags her friends packed for her and opened them up to see what goodies they held.

As each piece of clothing and miscellaneous items passed through her hands, she felt her eyes narrowing as she swore under her breath, calling for harm to the girls. Slinky outfits dominated the wardrobe that was given to her, along with a variety of personal toys she had thought were hidden well. Kay was glad to note that a few outfits would cover a decent amount of skin and wouldn't be too skintight. The one thought that kept her from hunting down her friends was that she at least had her own clothes instead of random pieces she could dredge up from the closet and dresser.

After emptying the bags and cleaning up the room, Kay sat in the middle of the circle of candles and calmed her mind. There were a lot of new scenarios in play, and she needed to be prepared for whatever came her way.

* * *

Kay sat in the recording studio with the rest of her band, Kai, Kale, and Knubbler. They had asked about using the equipment to work on some songs, and were granted their authorization. Knubbler was handed a hard drive with all the bands' songs on it, and they eventually got off topic, listening to old music and talking about this and that on the couches.

Before long, the four men of Dethklok, along with their families, came into the studio. They all sat down and watched as Amara and Trista pulled Kay up and danced around to some of the songs, and sang along with their own voices. A few of the songs that played were duets. During those, Kai, being the original second vocals, would stand and sing with Kay. She paid no mind to everyone there, only enjoying the rush of singing. As each song that played ended, she giggled seeing the families of Dethklok clap and cheer. She could only assume that the guys told their families who Kay and her friends were.

All of a sudden, a very old song began playing. The instrumental part was nothing but synth sounds to a poppy tune and beat. Female vocals came through, singing of love, friendship, and honesty. Kay stood still in the middle of the room, aware that all eyes were on her, and busted out laughing. She laughed so hard, she bent over, clutching her stomach, and wiped away tears in her eyes.

"Dis am nots yours music, ams its?" Skwisgaar questioned incredulously.

Kay could only blush, thinking of the story behind the songs that Knubbler found. She looked around the room, trying to avoid eye contact with the other people in the room. Only her friends were privy to the back story of this music.

"What the fuck is this shit?" Nathan bellowed. Kay sighed.

"This isn't mine," she admitted. "It's my mom's." She stood there, staring back at all the stares she received. "Umm… when my mom was in her teens, she formed a pop band with some friends. They were a local hit; pretty popular in Okinawa. But, they fizzled out after a few years. That's when my mom went into law enforcement. Her band was all about girl power and all that crap."

"Your mom wasch in a band?" Murderface asked. Kay nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Wow. They schuck."

"Hey," Kay shot back. "This was the popular style of music back then." She smiled as everyone laughed jovially.

Kay sat down on the couches with everyone as Knubbler played a variety of Half Breed songs, and talked casually between everyone.

"So, where do you get your ideas for these songs?" Pickles' mother asked.

"From my past experiences," Kay answered simply. "I go back to the days that made me the happiest, or the days where I feared most for my life, or the days of great loss, and I draw on those feelings and put words to them."

It was in that moment that Kay paused. Everyone around her continued to talk, but the gears in her head began to move as things began to click. She had figured it out. Numbly, she stood from the couch and excused herself, not that the others really noticed or cared, and walked out of the room. Hallway after hallway she walked, finally coming to rest at the doors to the command center. Inside was the man she needed to speak to.

She opened the doors to the command center and felt as if nothing had changed inside since her last visit. The main screen at the front of the room was cluttered with graphs, images, and videos of disasters. All around, Klokateers worked tirelessly at computers, never ceasing with their typing. And in the center sat Charles, who spoke with Ishnifus who was standing beside him.

_Déjà vu._ Kay thought to herself.

Once again, upon her arrival, Charles and Ishnifus ceased their conversation and looked to Kay. Annoyance was clear on the managers' face, and she thought she could hear him groan.

"You're not supposed to be in here," the manager spoke to Kay, mimicking their first meet in the room.

"We need to talk," Kay tried to explain quickly. Ishnifus took a step forward, most likely intended to walk to her. "No," Kay stopped the elder man. "I need to speak to Charles."

Charles raised a brow at the young singer and stared incredulously for a minute. Finally sighing and giving in, the man stood from his seat and walked out of the room with Kay. The two walked down the hall but stayed near the command center, in case something happened and Charles was needed immediately.

"First off," Kay began, wanting to get right to the point. "I want to ask why you brought my friends here. You told me that you were just going to send someone to watch them."

"I did," Charles admitted. "But on further examination of the situation, I realized that the best course of action would be to bring everyone here, rather than spread our forces far and wide. We would have a better chance of defending ourselves if all of our forces are here."

Kay nodded at his explanation, understanding his stance on the matter.

"Now, the reason I came to you," Kay spoke softly. "I think I know where to go to at least get a clue as to where Toki is." Instantly, the stoic man before her stood completely still, boring his eyes into Kay's. "We need to go back to where it began. There's got to be a clue at the funeral site."

"I'll send a team there immediately and see…"

"No," Kay cut the man off. "I have to be the one to go."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Metalocalypse, nor the characters within. The extra characters are my own. The New Age song referenced in this chapter is 'Deep Peace (Choral Version)' by Bill Douglas. The rights to the lyrics of that song go to the original song writer who wrote the piece.

Side note: I love the feedback, and would love more. If something in this story does not seem right, please message me and I will do my best to explain it to you, or change it in the story so that it does make sense. You are more than welcome to message me on Fanfiction. Please keep in mind that I am going off of the premise that with a new portion of the prophecy revealed to everyone, the whole storyline changes. I do not know what is going to happen in Season 5, and for obvious reasons, the real show will go much differently than my story. I do not plan on changing it to accommodate as that would be too much effort. So for the sake of the story, think of this as an alternate timeline for when the new season of the show does eventually come out.

Also, the story will change to an M rating when I post Ch.9 up. Giving you fair warning.

Thank you everyone for your support and love!

* * *

Ch.8

Kay stood at the entrance of the monolithic stone circle that served as the funeral site for the late Cornickelson. Behind her, her friends, Dethklok, their families, and an army of Klokateers with Charles and Ishnifus stood, waiting. Kay took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She hoped her crazy idea was right. The Klokateers were already informed not to enter the site, unless Kay was attacked.

Slowly, and with deliberate steps, Kay walked forward, entering the funeral site. The place had been immediately abandoned after the attack. The chairs that had been carefully placed in perfect symmetry had been tossed around in the confusion, and had stayed that way since. There were massive amounts of blood stains on the ground, all dried. The only thing that differed in this visit from the first one was the lack of bodies lying lifeless on the ground. Charles had told her that he sent a team out shortly after the attack to clean up the bodies to send to their respective families and such for proper burials.

Her memories of the attack came to her mind, and she welcomed them, sifting through each event, looking for a clue she hadn't seen then. Kay held her arms out, palms to the ground, trying to call upon the energy to guide her. She could feel nothing, though.

Something had compelled her to come to the site. And she took a risk asking to be there, and be the only one in the site. She only hoped that her intuition wouldn't fail her then.

Finally, Kay came to the crater that was caused by the Revengencer's bomb. She looked down, only seeing blackness. She turned her head away from the crater and looked to the sky, sighing. She could see no clues about Toki's abduction. At her feet, Kay saw a small stone and kicked it down into the crater. She listened as this small stone clicked and clacked against the sides of the crater, falling further and further down. She scrunched her brows together at the length of time it took the stone to reach the bottom. When the stone finally hit the bottom, the echo back sounded a bit off to Kay. The clack of the stone sounded more hollow than when it crashed against the sides of the crater.

_There could possibly be tunnels down there,_ she thought. It was a long shot idea, but she was willing to run with it. Kay dropped to the ground on her hands and knees and pressed her ear to the ground. She listened hard, hoping to hear something, anything.

Kay's eyes widened and she gasped, standing up and slowly backing away from the crater. Soon, but not soon enough, she finally reached the others who were all standing by, waiting for her word. She gave the sign to Charles to get everyone back on the submarine. As Kay and Charles walked into the sub, she turned to the man, eyes still wide, and told him what she found out.

"There's machinery down there," she spoke, the vibrato in her voice apparent. At Charles' confusion, she spoke again. "There are tunnels connected to the crater. And I could hear machines running underneath the site."

Kay watched as Charles' eyes grew wide.

"Master Ofdensen," a Klokateer walked up, interrupting the two. "There is an important message you should hear."

They all walked to the conference room and sat around the table in the room. In the middle of the table was a phone with a blinking red light, indicating a message. Kay watched Charles as he, shakily, reached for the phone and played the message on the speaker. The room was dead silent as the voice on the recorder spoke.

_"Help… Nathan… please,"_ the voice pleaded. Kay could only note that the voice was female, and sounded scared, and on the verge of death. _"I… don't know… where I am. Please… help me… Nathan…"_

"That's Abigail!" Nathan burst out once the line clicked dead.

"She'sch alive," Murderface marveled.

"Abigail's alive!" Pickles jovially commented. Kay watched as the drummers eyes grew wide in wonder and his lips curve into a smile as joy overtook him. A pang of pain ran through her chest at that moment. She pushed it aside as she thought about the message. To her, something didn't add up right.

"We have to go find her!" Nathan bellowed, giving his full attention to Charles, wordlessly giving Charles an order to find this woman.

During this time, Kay leaned forward and plugged a thumb drive into the phone dock, and copied the message onto it.

"How can we find her if we have no idea where she is?" Charles questioned back to Nathan. The barbaric looking man just stood there, staring off into space, possibly trying to think of a way to look for the woman.

Kay walked out of the conference room, knowing that her friends would follow her. The group walked down the halls and eventually came to the recording studio. As expected, Knubbler was in there, as if he had no other life than to be in that room. Kay walked right up to the soundboard and plugged the thumb drive in, telling Knubbler to play the audio.

"Okay, turn down her voice," Kay requested. Behind here, she heard the door to the studio open and a small stampede enter. Knubbler played the audio clip with Abigail's voice lowered. "Turn up the background." She listened as the background volume was raised and a familiar sound echoed through the speakers. She snapped her fingers and pointed at the soundboard. "That's it!" she proclaimed. Turning around, Kay looked at the menagerie of bodies before her. Once she found Charles and locked eyes with him, she explained. "That sound is the machines I heard at the funeral site. Abigail has to be there."

Immediately, Charles was on his phone, sending orders to get a team back out at the funeral site. And almost as immediately, everyone in the room followed Charles as he walked back to the command center. As soon as everyone entered, a team of ten Klokateers finished suiting up. The ten men saluted Dethklok and Charles and ran out the room. When Kay turned back around to the others, she saw a bunch of chairs set out for everyone to sit and watch. She noted all the people in attendance of this spectacle. There were the four members of Dethklok, Pickles, Nathan, Murderface, and Skwisgaar. Around the band were their families, Nathan's mom and dad, Pickle's mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, Murderface's grandmother, and Skwisgaar's mom. And last in attendance were Kay, her bandmates, and her two male friends.

Kay felt it was a little crowded for a search and rescue operation, but she wasn't going to say anything. Everyone had their reason for being in the command center, and it was the first time Charles' hadn't said they didn't belong. She sighed to herself and sat down in one of the chairs in the front row, next to Skwisgaar. Next to him was Pickles, then Nathan, and then Murderface.

Silently, she was thankful to be that far away from Murderface. There weren't many people that could put Kay on edge, but Murderface's presence alone always did it.

The giant screens before them lit up to a live feed from the Klokateers as they scurried into the funeral site. Each of the screens was from each of the Klokateers, a firsthand view of what they saw. Everyone in the room grew quiet as the team went further into the site, coming closer to the crater.

Kay dared a look behind her to Charles. She was surprised to see him looking at her at that moment. His brows were drawn together in concentration, and his lips pursed together. She gave him a nod, and was glad to receive a nod in return. The two focused back to the screens.

Before them on the grainy, over-sized monitors, the team hooked hooks and rope into the ground and around themselves, and immediately repelled down the side of the crater with no word. The deeper they descended, the darker it grew. The team switched to night-vision and continued down. Almost silently, they landed on the ground of the crater and looked around.

And to Kay's delight, there was a tunnel connected to the crater. The team moved into position and moved in, working as a team without spoken command. Finally, they arrived in the main section, where the tunnel opened up into a room where all the machines resided. Giant blocks of metal with pipes sticking out and into the wall of earth, moving and gyrating, clanking and groaning. There were lights around the room, but they were dim, and almost useless. Surrounding half the room, on two of the walls, there were doors.

With military precision, the team opened each door, clearing the rooms. Rooms that were already clear. Empty. On the opposite end of the main room from the entrance tunnel the team came through, there was another tunnel with a row of doors. With each door, the team opened them, revealing empty rooms.

Kay was growing concerned. What was this underground facility? Why were the machines on? And where were the peoples manning the machines?

The team on the screen finally came to rest as the end of the tunnel, and the last, unopened door. None of the revealed rooms had any other entrances. This was the last place. Kay looked over to Pickles and Nathan, and saw both men staring with eyes wide open, never blinking, and noticed that their chests didn't move. She knew they were holding their breath. She focused back on the screens and watched as the team busted open this last door, weapons brandished on a shadowed figure sprawled across the ground. A shriek came from the figure, but the team didn't move. Instantly, they knew they weren't under attack. They moved in and surrounded the quivering object. As their helmet cameras trained on the figure and the night-vision kicked in, the figure was revealed to everyone.

The room erupted into cheering, all except for Kay. Abigail's horror-stricken face was plastered on all the screens from different angles. And Kay felt something in her stomach drop.

* * *

Joy.

All that filled Pickles was a wave of unadulterated joy. He watched the screens before him, with Abigail's beautiful face covering the expanse of the monitors. In the moments leading up to this, his stomach was rolling with so many butterflies, he thought he was going to be sick all over the room. He had sweated and felt shaky. But seeing Abigail's blue eyes made the nerves wash away.

Pickles and Nathan stood up together, gave a shout and pumped their fists in the air. Pickles knew he was smiling ear to ear, but at this moment he didn't care if he looked gay. All that mattered was that Abigail was back. She was safe. And his whole body was filled with so much joy.

He looked to the side, where Kay was sitting, and saw she was gone. He looked up at the door leading into the command center, seeing them open, and watched Kay walk away as the doors closed behind her. Pickles stopped cheering for a moment and felt a knot build up in his stomach.

The next thing Pickles knew, he was being pushed towards the door with the others as a mass of people began moving out of the command center, still cheering. He turned to Skwisgaar, who walked beside him and pushed him with the rest of the crowd.

"Where're we goin'?" Pickles questioned.

"Tos dems infirmatories," the guitar god explained simply.

It took Pickles a moment to truly decipher what the Swede had said, given his broken English, but Pickles realized that they were all meeting Abigail in the infirmary. He looked ahead of him and saw Nathan leading the pack, almost leaning forward in his strides as if it made him walk faster.

Upon reaching the infirmary, Pickles entered with the others. After a few minutes of bustling bodies and such, he looked around and saw that the only people in the room were the band's doctor, Charles, Nathan, Murderface, Skwisgaar, himself, and the patient, Abigail.

Abigail laid on the bed, looking in a daze. The doctor stood next to her silently, appearing to be waiting on something. The only person that was moving was Nathan, as he fidgeted, possibly debating on going to Abigail's side. Pickles was never sure if his desire for the fiery woman was really love, or if it was just deep sea lust.

At this point in time, though, Pickles didn't care. He was thrilled that Abigail was back, and unharmed. She looked unhealthy though, like she hadn't been eating in days or weeks. That was something for the doctor to fix though.

"You're lucky you found her when you did," the doctor finally began, speaking to all present. "I have to run some tests, but if she had been down there much longer, she could have starved to death." Instantly, a collective hiss could be heard in the room. Pickles knew that everyone, like he, had sucked in a breath in concern. "She's disoriented right now, so she doesn't know where she is," the doctor continued. "She won't be even close to full health for a while."

"Well… uh… you can uh… fix her, right doc? I mean, that's what we pay ya for," Nathan softly spoke, as if to watch the volume of his voice around Abigail.

"Yeah, I can 'fix' her," the doctor said, sounding almost insulted. "It's just going to take time." The doctor looked around the room at everyone. "Whatever."

Just then, the door to the medical room opened.

"She's not to be trusted," a familiar voice spoke low, threatening. Pickles turned around and found Kay standing in the doorway, hand by her side balled into fists. The look in her eyes was filled with a fiery rage, and a stern look overtook her usual gentle features. Pickles couldn't stop the gulp he took looking at her. It made him think back to when she spoke of her days in the gang, how she said she changed after her near-rape experience. He was now scared to ask what changed.

"Kay," Nathan began, sounding reasoning, a smile on his face and his arms open. "It's Abigail. She's harmless. She's back now. Everything's fine."

"No," Kay pressed. She looked into Nathan's eyes, and he quickly took a step back.

Pickles was in utter awe of that action. Never, in all the years that Pickles knew Nathan, had someone managed to make him step away from them. And she managed to do it with just a look.

"I know her game," the small woman spoke again. "Don't trust anything she says. And get her off this sub as soon as possible."

"Kay, what are you trying to say?" Charles asked simply. Kay looked to the manager and the two stared at each other for a few moments.

"Abigail's not Abigail. She may very well be a spy." Kay was very sure of herself as she spoke those words. "I know this play. I used to use this tactic." And as suddenly as she came in the room, Kay was gone, the door closing after her.

"What'sch her deal?" Murderface retorted, arms crossed over his chest in defense. Pickles looked to the man and pondered over that question.

* * *

Kay sat in the dining room with her friends, smoking a cigarette and dazing out. She felt another wave of uneasiness wash over her, and washed it away with a long drag of her cigarette. Around her, the girls, Kai, and Kale were talking amongst themselves, ignoring Kay. She felt no anger to them, only wanting to understand the new aura she felt.

When she was in the medical room, she could tell that all of Dethklok was under some kind of spell. She figured it was probably the excitement of finally getting Abigail back. She didn't want to ruin their happiness, but there was a strong possibility that this woman was in the enemy's control.

Kay looked at her cigarette, and realized it was at the butt. She snapped out of her daze, leaning forward to stamp out the cherry in the ashtray, and felt a pair of eyes on her. After the cherry was squashed and she was leaning back in her chair, Kay looked next to her to see Trista looking at her. She was leaning her arms on the table, and leaning her head on her arms, smiling and looking intensely at her best friend.

"You feel it, too," Trista spoke softly. It wasn't a question, and Kay didn't have to answer for Trista to know she did feel it.

"They won't believe me," Kay professed. She leaned forward, laying her arms on the table, and rested her head on top, looking at Trista sideways.

"Well, how do you know it's her? It could be something else," Trista tried to reason. Kay looked at her incredulously.

"Yeah, and it conveniently came aboard the sub at the exact same time as Abigail." Trista rolled her eyes at Kay's words. But the two knew that this energy they felt seemed off, and it was coming from the unconscious woman in the infirmary. Kay closed her eyes, inhaling deep, and sighing out her breath. She stood up and opened her eyes. "I'm gonna take a bath," she muttered. As she turned, she saw Trista nod in understanding.

Kay walked away from her friends and left the dining room. As she turned to go down the hall, she saw the four members of Dethklok. She looked at the four of them, and they looked at her. Kay nodded her head to them and stepped out of their way to skirt around them and continue down the hall.

As she continued walking past Dethklok, she heard shuffling feet and knew one of them had turned around and began following her. Kay looked over her shoulder and wasn't surprised to see Pickles right behind her. When he saw her eye him, he hastened his step and walked at her side.

"I know what you're going to say," Kay began, drawing out her words. She'd heard it all before.

"Kay, Abigail's not gonna hurt us," Pickles tried to reason. "She was taken hostage. We got her back. You got her back to us. Who knows what happened to her while she was down there, but she's never been bad. Abigail's always been gentle, and kind, she wouldn't hurt a fly."

Kay whipped her head to the side and looked at Pickles. He stopped his rant and looked at her. Kay sighed.

"You're not over her," Kay revealed, connecting the dots. "So, you can't see it. You don't want to see it. You want to keep believing that Abigail is completely innocent in all of this. You still want her." Kay got all the answer she needed by the slight flush in Pickles' cheeks, and the way he shifted his eyes. Kay pursed her lips together and nodded at the drummer, then turned ahead and walked to her room. Something inside her was yelling at her to get away before something stupid happened.

But Pickles was being relentless. He had composed himself and ran after Kay.

"I-i-it's not like that," the man stuttered as he tried to reason. Kay felt a growl beginning to form deep in her throat. "Look, Abigail was the past, and she never wanted me." His words were not making Kay feel any better, and the growling was only getting stronger. "We were stuck in this fucking sub for months, and she was the only chick. All of us were going after her." Kay balled her hands into fists at his words. "We were just going stir-crazy. I mean, she's still hot and shit, but she's not my type."

Kay stopped on a dime, unballing one of her fists and throwing it out at Pickles' chest. The palm of her hand landed fully on his chest, and the man stopped in his tracks. Kay's head was bent down, staring at the floor. There was no force in her palm, but it took all her strength to hold back and not lash out. And to her dismay, she couldn't stop the growling.

"So, what is your type?" Kay asked darkly and sarcastically. "Tiny, broken, blond chicks with a fucked up past and lots of secrets?" At her own words, she chuckled darkly.

Pickles said nothing, only stood still with Kay's palm to his chest. Kay could feel him shaking beneath her fingers. She raised her head and let Pickles see a sadistic smirk with eyes that spoke of death. She saw the drummer's eyes widen in shock. She calmed herself down as best she could and spoke to him.

"I don't trust her. There's something very wrong with this situation. I'd say it's in your best interest to keep your distance." Kay stood silently, watching Pickles' reaction. He did nothing, just stood and stared at her. He had stopped shaking. "I need to take a bath," Kay said flippantly. She looked away from Pickles, turning back in the direction of her room and slowly began walking away, her outstretched hand lingering on the redhead's chest.

As Kay entered her room, she sighed and closed her eyes, stripping off her clothes and tiptoeing through the maze of candles and incense holders. She found a stereo in the room and turned it on, tuning it to play New Age music. The sound of wind and soft instruments, along with the chime of bells wafted through the room and the adjoining bathroom as Kay entered it. She walked softly to the bathtub and turned the water on, letting the basin fill, then looked around the tiled room for more items. Eventually, she found bath oils and poured them into the steaming water. She grabbed a few candles and lit them around the bathroom, then turned the bathroom lights low and closed the door. Kay gently set foot into the tub and slowly settled down, letting the hot water rush over her skin, causing goosebumps to prickle up.

As she laid in the bathtub, the sounds of pianos, cellos, and the voices of a choir resonated through the air. The candles waivered and flickered around her closed eyes, their gentle scent filling the air, twining with the music. Kay let her nerves unravel and felt her muscles loosen the pent-up tension they held. She inhaled deep and slowly exhaled, furthering calming herself. It was then that she realized since she met the infuriating drummer, she hadn't been able to stay calm about anything. And she hadn't had a true moment of peace.

Kay laid in the tub, letting the gentle sway of the water lift her limbs and move her body to and fro. Giving up control; it was something she wasn't used to, and didn't want to do. But she let go of the movements of her body, dropping fully in the water as it took control, and freed her mind from thoughts of the attacks on her and Dethklok, from confusion of her role in the prophecy and the inability to call upon her powers when they were needed most, and from her uncalled for rage and lust to the cocky, un-relatable, redheaded Irish American drummer.

The echo of a familiar song's lyrics crept over the air and Kay relinquished the remaining control she had as the song played and she delved into peace.

'_Deep peace__  
__Of a running wave to you__  
__Deep peace__  
__Of the flowing air to you__  
__Deep peace__  
__Of the quiet earth to you__  
__Deep peace__  
__Of the shining stars to you__  
__Deep peace__  
__Of the gentle night to you__  
__Moon and stars__  
__Pour their healing light on you__  
__Deep peace to you'_

As control was given up, Kay felt her body begin to feel weightless. She opened her eyes to see herself emerged in water, an ocean it appeared. A gauzy, white dress was draped over her body and floated in the current of the water. Soft rays of light beamed through the water and danced around her body as she floated in the water. In this world, there was no need to breathe, and Kay was thankful for that. The water around her was pure and clear, void of any negative emotions and dark thought. She wafted around in the water, smiling to herself at the calmness that overtook her. It was only her in the water, but she was fine with the idea. She knew that what awaited her outside of this world was chaos and a deluge of people.

She twisted and turned, swimming around in the ocean before her, amazed at its beauty. As Kay swam, she moved towards the deeper, darker end of the ocean before her. She could hear a voice humming, a gentle woman's voice. Soon, a vision before her appeared. A large, blue whale floated in the dark water, humming to herself. Kay approached it from behind, slowly, but the whale turned around to look at her, as if she knew Kay were coming.

There, wading in the water, facing each other, Kay and the whale looked at each other.

_'The sea prophet,_' Kay thought to herself, reminded of what Ishnifus told Nathan before the funeral.

The sea prophet kept humming a tune, so melodic Kay felt she was being put into a trance. It was then that Kay realized where some of Nathan's inspiration for the music came from. She could easily see this tune put to fast guitar fingering, and a steady drum beat.

'_Soon, the tides will shift,_' the sea prophet spoke. Kay noticed that she wasn't speaking, but rather sending her the thought in her mind, like telepathy. _'Leave the world you knew behind. Embrace your emotions. You will be stronger._'

In an instant, a flash of a beautiful woman's face entered Kay's mind. The woman had an oval shaped face, with a kind smile playing on her lips. Her crystal blue eyes were hooded, and her long silver hair framed most of her face. The woman's skin was pale, yet looked as smooth as crème.

As soon as the image flashed away, Kay was pulled away from this ocean world. She opened her eyes to see herself almost fully submerged in the bathtub. The New Age music still played through the speakers in the room and bathroom. The wicks of the candles still burned with small flames of light, and all were surrounded by a pool of liquid wax. The water in the bathtub had cooled down tremendously, so Kay moved to empty it out, slowly standing, and wrapped a towel around herself as she walked out.

She walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, and saw that all the candles around the room had been lit, and new sticks of incense were burning. Sitting in the middle of the circular pattern of candles was Kay's best friend, a tall woman a few years older than Kay, with black hair that reached far down and pooled on the floor, her emerald green eyes closed to the world. Kay knew that Trista was aware of her entrance, even though she didn't move from her spot by the candles.

Kay smiled at her best friend, sitting down on the bed, the towel still loosely wrapped over her chest. Trista was well acquainted with meditation. She had spent years in temples, learning from the monks all she could, after her parents left her. Instead of becoming a ball of undulating, writhing emotions like Kay had become, Trista had found inner peace. Every scenario that came to her path, Trista always dealt with it with a smile on her face, and a calm she had on her soul.

Kay, on the other hand, only took bits and pieces of all religions from all over the world, compiling them together to create a power only she seemed capable of controlling. She also had only been looking into these religions and taking part of some of the practices for a little over ten years.

To say she was jealous of her best friend's way of thinking about life would be an understatement. But Kay never acted on her feelings with Trista, and never showed ill will towards the woman. Especially not after all they had been through together. Their journey's only intertwined them closer together.

Gently, Kay stood from the bed, careful not to make a sound and tear Trista away from her concentration. Kay walked to the dresser and pulled out clothes to wear, and dawned the tank-top of sweatpants. As she turned around and faced the center of the room, Trista had opened her eyes and looked at Kay. The two shared a smile, and both walked over to the bed, sitting down in a comfortable silence for a moment.

"Pickles came to me," Trista spoke calmly when the moment of silence was over. Kay looked to her friend, and waited for an explanation. "He said you got angry when he tried to explain the Abigail situation to you."

Kay sighed.

"Of course he did," Kay spoke forlornly. She looked up at Trista, staring into her friend's eyes. "I don't trust her, though. And his desire for her, _their_ desire for her, has blinded them into believing something that isn't there." Kay searched her friends eyes for understanding. "You don't trust her either," she boldly proclaimed. "You know as well as I do, that there's something completely wrong with this situation."

Trista only smiled in return.

"Yes," Trista agreed. "But I'm not going to go around and spread the seeds of disloyalty between this family of theirs." Trista eyed Kay down, making the blond woman look away. "Find the truth first, then bring it to the attention of everyone. They'll believe you then."

Kay sighed and closed her eyes. She knew her friend spoke the truth. All she could do what expose Abigail and get the truth out of her. Without it, Pickles, Nathan, and the rest of Dethklok wouldn't believe Kay. When she opened her eyes, Trista was by the door to her room, standing in the doorway, and smiling back at Kay.

"You should open your heart again," the black-haired woman whispered, then walked out, closing the door behind her.

Kay was left to herself, thinking. The last time she opened her heart, it ended in disaster, and Kay was still picking up the pieces. She had come close to letting someone in again years later, and that, too, ended in tragedy. The only people who had the luxury of seeing her heart were the girls. Kale and Kai barely had that luxury. She pondered over why Trista would say something like that to her. She couldn't have been talking about Pickles. Kay had already come to the conclusion that she only lusted after the drummer.

Shaking her head, Kay yawned and looked at the time.

'_10:16._' The time read.

Kay was amazing at how time flew by. She attributed most of it to being in the water. It had cooled off a lot from the time she drew it, she must have been in there for a couple hours. She pulled the covers on the bed down and slid between them, feeling more at ease than she had in a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Metalocalypse, nor the characters within. The characters Kay, Amara, Michelle, Trista, Maggie, Kai, and Kale are owned by me.

I am changing the rating of this story to M for explicit scenes. If they make you uncomfortable, don't read it.

I welcome any and all comments. Please try to keep them as constructive criticism though.

Thank you everyone for the love and support!

* * *

Ch.9

Pickles sighed to himself. He sat in a lounge with a beer in one hand, and a cigarette in another. The day's events unfolded in his mind. It was all thanks to Kay. She came up with the idea of going to the funeral site, which helped her locate Abigail. And Pickles was more than thrilled to have the tyrant producer back, even though she was asleep in the infirmary for the night. Nathan had come to him, stating that Abigail woke up briefly, then fell asleep, but was in stable condition. Pickles was relieved.

And it was all thanks to Kay.

So, he had a hard time understanding why she was acting so distant, and hateful. Eventually, Pickles found Trista, and the two talked for a while. Trista just sat there with a smile on her face and nodded at everything the drummer said to her. She didn't even offer up much advice. All she said in return was that she would talk to Kay.

But that was it.

Just talk to Kay.

'_You should sort out the desires of your heart._' Those were the last words uttered by the black-haired, lanky girl as she left the room. Pickles didn't understand what she meant by that statement. He knew what he wanted. And where did his heart come in in all of it? The Irish American shook his head, thinking over those words, taking a drag of his cigarette, then a swallow of his beer.

Since Abigail's arrival, Pickles managed to avoid contact with his parents and brother, along with the rest of his bandmate's families. Last thing he needed was some random lecture by any of them for no good reason. His parents were never there for him, so they had no right to try and parent him. Yet, they continued to try. He felt himself desiring his inhaler, and took a deep breath, calming down his nerves.

Pickles stamped out the cherry of his cigarette and stood up from his chair, instantly feeling a wave of lightheadedness hit. He had been drinking for a while now, and forgot how many drinks he had, but he knew he was sitting down for them all. He smirked to himself, knowing that it was all rushing through his veins at that very moment, and a nice drunken stupor would soon follow.

He left the lounge, fully intent on being in his room, resting under the sheets when the alcohol reached its peak. He wasn't aiming to get stupid wasted, but a little more than buzzed. And accounting for the swaying his body undertook, he was sure he was more than buzzed. He smiled goofily to himself on his trek back to his room, utterly glad that no one passed by him. They would all just ignore him anyways, since he was drunk.

Before he knew what else was going on, the door to his bedroom closed behind him. He blinked a few times, wondering where the missing gap of time went, eventually just shrugging to himself as he tore his shirt and pants off. He stumbled over dirty clothes and empty liquor bottles, but found himself safely on his bed. Squirming around, Pickles managed to pull the blankets down and roll around underneath them, and managed to pull them up to his stomach.

The drummer lay on his back, a true smile on his lips for once, his eyes closed, in nothing but his tidy-whitey's. He moaned contentedly and let his mind wander, enjoying the deep buzz that took over his mind.

'_I've been on my knees, begging for it. Wanting something to wash away the pain. And now I look at you, clear in my eyes. I just want to be your whore. Take all of me!_'

The memory of hearing Kay sing that stanza hit his mind. Back then, that part of the song stirred a feeling down in his groin. And now, it was doing the same. Pickles moaned again, lower in his throat, thinking of those lyrics.

'_You should sort out the desires of your heart._'

Once again, he heard Trista tell him those words. That girl confused Pickles the most. When he first met her, he figured her to be Kay's protector, or a bodyguard. He had the feeling that she was to be feared if he pissed Kay off. But now, he only saw gentleness in her eyes. He could tell Trista only had Kay's best interests in mind, but she was acting free-spirited, openly giving him advice wrapped in riddles.

Pickles knew what he wanted. He wanted…

'_So, what is your type? Tiny, broken, blond chicks with a fucked up past and lots of secrets?_'

Kay's words pierced through his chest as he remembered the look in her eyes. He wasn't sure he wanted that. He didn't want secrets. He didn't want issues.

But damn if that hot-blooded vixen didn't get his blood boiling, and boiling down to his 'head.'

For some reason, the drummer had managed to illicit lots of anger from the tiny blond girl, and he wasn't sure what he was doing to get her so riled up. Trista hadn't seemed too concerned with it when he brought it up to her. But Pickles remembered the smiles he got from the woman. Those smiles were like the sun piercing through dense clouds, causing them to float away, leaving rainbows in their departure.

Pickles chuckled at that thought.

'_Rainbows,_' he thought. '_Totally un-metal._'

But, it was true. The smiles he managed to rustle from Kay were magnificent. They made his days worthwhile. Back before the attack at the band's last concert, he kept thinking of some reason to see her, just so he could do something stupid and get her to smile again.

And her body…

The drummer moaned again, a little louder, feeling a tingling stir in his groin.

The night they spent together in the bar was better than Pickles could imagine. He always hated being so short, but she was so small, she fit perfectly next to him. And in the middle of the night, she had rolled around and laid on him. He felt her skin, so soft and supple. It was warm to the touch, and smooth. And there was a scent about her. He doubted she had put on perfume, not that it would have lasted for so long, and it surely wasn't the rum he had smelled. He knew it was her own personal scent. It was light, subtle, sweet, and oh so intoxicating. He had the pleasure of smelling it again when he pinned her to the wall of the sub after she recorded that song with Knubbler. He didn't want that moment to end, wanting to explore her lithe form with his hands, and learn each curve slowly. His lust for her hadn't died when she pushed him back into the opposite wall. If anything, it made him crave her more.

Heat pooled around his groin at the thoughts of his small angel.

'_Mine,_' he thought to himself, his usual smirk playing across his features.

Pickles couldn't ignore the pressure that had built below. He slipped a hand beneath the soft blankets, and with deft fingers, slid them under the band of his briefs. He thought of Kay singing her songs, all her emotions pouring out, as his fingers glanced over his engorged member. Her serene smile came to life beneath his closed eyelids as his fingers wrapped around his cock. He imagined her soft body, fully unclothed, half laying on top of him, her small hands artfully dancing over his skin, her full lips planting small kisses on his chest.

Pickles imagined Kay's hands touching every part of his body, pleasing him, torturing him, bringing him to the edge, then backing down at the last second. He moaned again, jerking his hand faster to his own thoughts. He thought of how he would finally be fed up with her teasing, and giggling, and would grab her by the shoulders and hoist her up to sit on his lap. Only then, she would tease him some more until he took control again, pushing her down on the bed and finally entering her. And by all that was evil, it would be amazing. He could only imagine how hot she was on the inside, or velvety smooth it would feel on his Irish cock, and how tight she would be against his engorged shaft.

It didn't take long for Pickles to find release after those thoughts. He laid there, panting, eyes still closed, hand in his briefs. He didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't want his imagination to wash away once he saw with his own eyes how empty his room was.

He groaned and sighed to himself, realizing that there was a mess to clean up, and he had to get up and look at the real world. Sighing once more, he slowly opened his eyes, and was greeted by blackness. The lights in his room were off.

Slowly, Pickles detached his hand from his dick and found a light to turn on. His drunken haze had pretty much been obliterated, but he was okay with it. Finding his way into the bathroom, Pickles striped off his underwear and tossed them aside. He cleaned himself hastily and stumbled his way back into the room where he found another pair of drawers to sleep in.

He slid back under the sheets, pulling them halfway up his chest, and found that sleep was right on the edge.

Pickles thought of what tomorrow would bring. He'd get to see Kay again, hopefully in a better mood. And, he'd get to see Abigail, and get some good news about her condition and help her through it.

Abigail…

'_You should sort out the desires of your heart._'

* * *

Kay walked down the halls of the giant submarine with purpose. She had a restful night of sleep, and a clear head. That morning after waking up, Kay found something decent to wear amidst the scanty clothes her friends brought her, vowing to murder them when given the chance for their choice in clothes, and actually had a decent breakfast. Though, she ate late. It was eleven o'clock when she finally ate, but she was fine since she had her cup of coffee and a cigarette. As she ate breakfast, it dawned on her that she hadn't been eating regularly as she should have been, ending up skipping meals due to some situations. She also found she hadn't been as hungry lately.

But now, after a decent breakfast and her vices taken care of, she had goals for the day to accomplish.

When she finally reached her destination, she was not the least bit surprised to see Dethklok around. Skiwsgaar and Murderface were sitting off to the side of the infirmary while Nathan and Pickles stood by Abigail's side, with the doctor on the other side of the patient. Everyone looked to Kay at her arrival, including Abigail, who was awake and seemed fairly well rested. Especially for someone who had just been rescued from enemy clutches.

Kay smiled to everyone, offering a kind hello, then asked about Abigail's condition.

"Well, she's responding well to the nutrients I've been giving her," The doctor answered. "She needs to start moving around a little bit, get some physical therapy in there to rebuild some of her deteriorated muscles."

"Okay," Kay piped in, causing the doctor to stutter, and the band members to stare in wide-eyed confusion. "I can help her walk around, get some strength back." Kay put on her winning smile and was pleased to see it work with the doctor nodding in consent.

"Great," the doctor replied. "That gives me more time to figure out what's wrong with your friend," he said, reminding Kay that Michelle was still sick and stuck in a wheelchair. She hoped for not much longer. The doctor grabbed a medical bag and exited the room, presumably to go treat Michelle.

Kay moved around the room and stood next to Abigail, who smiled weakly up to Kay. She took this opportunity to examine the look in Abigail's eyes, to see if there were any underlying glimpses of betrayal. She could find none.

"Kay," Pickles spoke up, bringing Kay back to reality. "You sure you can do this?" he ask, his yooper dialect coming in strong, making the blond woman smile.

"I can handle this," she replied to the man. "I know a thing or two about malnutrition." Kay looked down at Abigail again and smiled. She hoped that maybe the others would forget about her previous attitude and think that Kay had rethought her feelings overnight. "Shall we get you up and moving?" she asked softly to the brunette.

At the woman's nod, Kay helped her out of the bed and repositioned the IV around to not get tangled. Kay wrapped an arm around Abigail's waist and the two began a short and slow journey. Nathan and Pickles hovered around as the two women moved to leave the infirmary.

"You two should stay back," Kay prompted. "We won't be able to get far with mother hen smothering us." Kay smirked at the boys. But the two got the hint and stepped back, letting Kay and Abigail forge ahead.

The two women walked forth down the hall, Kay moving at Abigail's pace for her best comfort. She noted behind them the four members of Dethklok standing in a row by the door to the infirmary. Nathan and Pickles fidgeted and shuffled their feet where they stood, clearly having a hard time staying put. Kay smiled.

'_So obedient,_' she thought to herself. It was a trait they had that could prove to be their undoing if they weren't careful. Though, that was part of the reason Kay was there, to protect them from those situations.

"I know your game," Kay spoke softly to Abigail.

"What?" the brunette weakly spat out, looking at Kay in utter shock. Kay stared straight ahead, her brows furrowing together.

"It's a little curious that you called when we were at the funeral site," Kay began to explain. "And why is it the enemy left you behind? Why didn't they take you with them?" Kay was not expecting answers, or wanting them. "It's also a little fishy that you called on a phone at one end of the tunnels, yet were found in the very last room. Alone."

"Are you… calling me a liar?" Abigail whispered.

"Well, I don't know, honestly," Kay truthfully told. "There're a few scenarios that are going on here. The first scenario is that you've been with the Revengencers since the beginning, and this is all part of the ultimate plan." Kay glanced over at Abigail, who stared straight ahead, her mouth parted open in disbelief. "Another scenario is that when the Revengencers took you, they gave you an offer to become a spy, and for whatever personal reason you took it. The last scenario is a little sci-fi-ish. That scenario involves that when the Revengencers took you, they brainwashed you, and turned you into a sleeper agent. And when a certain phrase or situation comes to your attention, it'll trigger the brainwashing thing and you'll attack."

There was a moment of silence between the two women. They had finally reached the end of the hall, and stood still, staring at the wall.

"Are you on something?" Abigail asked incredulously.

"Not right now," Kay joked, smirking at Abigail. "For your sake, I'm hoping it's the sci-fi scenario. 'Cause if you even _try_ to hurt one of these boys," Kay turned to Abigail and stared her in the eyes. "You'll wish that hell had opened up on you. Oh, you'd best give any information about Toki's whereabouts to me as well."

Abigail stayed silent, clearly unnerved, and seemingly flabbergasted by the accusations. Kay wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not, but the sheer fact that she said something about it would make Abigail know that at least one person would be watching her closely, if it turned out she was against Dethklok.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Abigail finally proclaimed to Kay. Kay turned the two of them around and began walking back to the infirmary. "All I remember is being taken by those people, then the Klokateers found me."

"Wait," Kay stopped suddenly, looking up at Abigail. "You don't remember making a phone call to us?"

"No." The brunette shook her head, her eyes wide in innocence. Kay looked ahead, thinking of Abigail's confession. The two began walking back to the infirmary silently.

"I hope your words are true," Kay solemnly whispered to the weak woman next to her as they drew close to the boys.

"Then come around more often," Abigail offered boldly. Kay peered to the woman next to her. "Talk to me. Get to know me. You'll find out then."

Kay never got the chance to accept or decline. The girls were close enough then that Nathan and Pickles ran out and took Abigail's arms gently and led her back to the infirmary room to rest. Kay stood still, staring in bewilderment at the woman. She watched as Nathan and Pickles gently helped Abigail sit on the bed. The brunette looked at both the men, smiling softly. Kay felt a growl form as the sickly woman smiled at Pickles, holding his arm for support as she turned to lie down on the bed. When Kay looked at Nathan, she saw he was frowning at the dreadlocked drummer.

She didn't know what to think of this situation, and with her confusion she turned and walked away from the infirmary, leaving all five of the people there.

Kay meandered through the halls, lost in thought. She wondered how all of this had happened, what it could all mean, and what the possibilities were for the near future. As she walked, she came across a room where lots of noise was penetrating through the door. She stopped and examined the door. There was nothing unusual about this particular door, but looks can be deceiving. Without thinking about any consequences, Kay opened the door and peered into the room within.

It was a bar. Red walls with black and chrome metal trim, and tables that looked like oversized saws. A giant mahogany wood bar took up the expanse of the back wall, adorned with glass shelves filled with a variety of liquor bottles, all with a small spotlight on them. Each of the cabinets on the bar were full with different styles of crystal glasses. A Klokateer behind the counter wore the traditional black hood, but wore and black and white suit, and was busy mixing drinks, serving them, and cleaning the glassware. The patrons sitting at the bar and at the tables around the room were all the family members of the metal band. They were sitting in small groups, yet talked to everyone with raised voices, and clinked their glasses, laughing jovially about random squabble. They hadn't taken notice of Kay's entrance.

'_No better time than the present,_' Kay thought to herself as she walked through the room to the bar. She climbed into one of the plush barstools, and waited patiently for the bartender to come to her. She was in no rush. When the bartender stood in front of her, Kay looked up to him. "A shot of vodka and a White Russian," she stated. The bartender walked away and began grabbing the items for the drink. She could feel eyes on her and knew that some of the patrons were watching her.

The Klokateer set a small glass with the light brown liquid heaven Kay loved so much. A double shot glass was set down next to the White Russian and the bartender poured straight vodka in, barely leaving any space to the rim. Kay smiled to herself. As the bartender walked away, she picked up the shot and raised it in the air.

'_To never giving up, and never leaving,_' she cheered to the memory of the one person who meant the world to her. She threw her head back and downed the double shot in one go, reveling in the burn. She didn't cough or choke, or make any noise that said her throat burned. She simply picked up her other drink and took a small sip, knowing she still had eyes on her. Kay heard the scratch of a chair being pushed and the footsteps of heels walking closer to her. The barstool to her right was pulled out a bit and a woman sat down next to Kay. She looked up and looked over this brave soul. The woman had a long face, with only slight wrinkles. A ring around her nose and mouth was starting to form, and bags were starting to appear under her cobalt blue eyes, but were concealed by a pair of glasses. Her chocolate brown hair was pinned back into a bun. Her purple dress fit nicely on her body, and was accented by a purple and gold flower broach. A pearl necklace adorned her neck and completed her outfit. Kay was unsure of the woman's age, but guessing that she was the mother of any of the band members would put her around a decent grandmothering age. This woman looked nice for her assumed age.

"I see you've been hanging around with our boys," the woman spoke, a distinct northern dialect piercing her voice, making her sound nasally. "Are you a hooker?" she asked brazenly. Kay's eyes widened and she leaned away from the woman, then suddenly laughed.

"No," Kay clarified after a small laughing fit. "I'm Kay. I'm…" she paused to think of her words. "I guess you could say I'm friends with the band."

"I'm Molly, Pickles' mom," the woman spoke, finally giving a name to herself. "So, Kay, how did you get wrapped up with the boys?"

Kay sat still, remembering Cornickelson talking to her on the aircraft to Dethklok's last show. She remembered standing backstage, watching her old acquaintance suffer an excruciating death, and being dragged to the command room of the stage, being dragged into the ocean with the rest of the band. The wall of prophecies flashed across her mind as her thoughts strayed to the meeting with Ishnifus. Then, the attack at the funeral, where Kay witnessed Toki and Abigail's theft and a bloodbath.

"Innocent bystander caught in the crossfires," Kay explained shortly. The ordeals she and Dethklok had been through didn't concern their families, and she felt it might be best not to bring up anything upsetting, no matter the relationship of the band and their families.

"So, who exactly are you? The boys wouldn't say anything. But you were really good at singing. And those other people, they are your friends?" Molly seemed like she was no stranger to pushing people for answers. Kay only sighed.

"Yes, those people are my friends, and they've been my closest friends for a long time." Kay could only hope that Molly would divert the conversation to something else. She had no desire to go through the long explanation of Half Breed, or how the band came about.

"What were you cheering when you raised your shot?" Molly asked completely out of the blue. Kay could only look back in shock. Never had anyone asked why she would occasionally raise a shot in silence. Though, Kay didn't go out and drink with too many random people.

"Umm…" Kay stuttered. "It's a cheer… to a promise I made… many years ago," Kay slowly pushed out, hoping that it would be answer enough.

"How did you meet our boys?"

'_What the hell is this?_' Kay asked herself mentally. '_One hundred questions to Kay time? Speed round, GO!_' she joked.

"I ran into Pickles," Kay spoke out loud, sounding almost annoyed with the constant badgering of this particular question. "I asked him to help me with something. He agreed. Extenuating circumstances occurred, and here I am, aboard a ship against my will, with emotions flying high, and a war on the horizon." With her final sentence, she lifted her glass and chugged the rest of her White Russian. She slammed the glass on the table with a smirk on her lips, catching the bartender's attention, and motioned for another drink.

"You're definitely not a hooker," Molly blandly expressed, causing Kay to look at her with an eyebrow raised. "Your vocabulary is larger than the boys, or any of the women they bring around."

Kay blinked a couple times as the comment swam through her head. She tossed her head back and barked out in laughter. She dully noted that everyone else began laughing with her at the comment. Kay was sure that the ill feelings Dethklok had towards their parents were reciprocated. The laughter began to die down and she leaned forward, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes, and grabbed her new glass of White Russian that the bartender sat down during the laughing spit. When the glass was placed back down on the counter, half the contents were gone, not even enough time for the ice to begin melting and watering down the alcoholic contents. Kay turned in her seat and faced Molly fully, as well as giving more attention to the rest of the family members.

"Are you the girl in that picture with Pickles in the café?" a young man, around Kay's age, with hair a similar color to Molly's, spiked up with gel. He had a slight northern accent to his voice. He had a thin mustache and a small goatie, and mossy green eyes that resembled Pickles'. Kay noticed that his facial structure resembled the drummer she'd began to grow close to.

Kay stopped her thoughts right there, realizing that she was entering dangerous territories, thinking she was getting close to any of the men from Dethklok. She organized her thoughts and remembered the question this young man asked.

"Yes," Kay answered honestly, closing her eyes and lowering her head, sighing. "We got a little careless."

"Careless?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, we forgot that the paparazzi are always around." Kay gave an apologetic smile, her eyebrows knitted together. She giggled slightly about the situation.

"Are you two dating?" the drummer's mother asked.

"No," Kay snorted. She picked her drink up and downed the rest of the contents, upset with herself by how much the ice had managed to melt. She knew it wasn't late in the day, and that she probably shouldn't be drinking so early. But it had been a while, and Kay wanted to have fun. Sitting at a table next to the young man, an elderly man with grey hair snorted.

"That's too bad," the man grunted. His arms were crossed over his chest and his expression was grim. "It'd be the one good thing he's done with his life."

The tiny blond had the distinct feeling that this man was the hated father of the dreadlocked northerner Kay had heard about. She noted that the man's expression never softened and came to the conclusion that his frowning features were somewhat permanent.

A new glass, taller than the ones Kay had been drinking from previously, was set down in front of Kay by the Klokateer bartender. The contents of the glass were the same as before, and Kay smiled in glee with the immediate response of the refill. She picked up the tall glass and took a few sips from it, marveling at the creaminess the drink held. She set it down and looked at the greying man nearby, wondering where it apparent seething hatred came from.

"And you think Pickles and his band haven't done anything remarkable?" Kay questioned, almost defensively. She watched her tone, not wanting to seem as such.

"He hasn't done anything worthwhile," the elder man grunted out his disapproval. Kay's eye twitched. She understood then why her and Pickles meshed together. "Now, our boy Seth here," the man motioned to the young man next to him that Kay had presumed to be Pickles' brother. "He's a fine young man, the world ahead of him, and a bright future right on the horizon."

Kay felt her eyes flatten out into a deadpan stare, the corner of her left twitching. The man's words reminded her so much of her grandparent's hatred of her mom, and adoration of her father. She could understand completely why Pickles held discontentment in his heart towards his family. Previously, Kay had thought to herself that the drummer's hatred was unfounded, that these people were decent and loving. She knew better now.

'_Book covers and all that,_' she thought to herself. She turned her attention to Seth, who sat with a smug smirk that reminded Kay of the drummer. She realized that if both men had the same color hair, they would look like identical twins, especially with that constant smirk they both seemed so fond of.

"And what is it you do?" She asked the brother.

"I, ya know, work at Dethklok Australia," he pronounced proudly, folding his arms over his chest and straightening his back at his 'accomplishment.'

"So," Kay began, trying to grasp the situation. "You work for Pickles?" She watched as Seth, Molly, and Pickles' dad sat still, staring at her.

"All Pickles does is play in his little band," Molly retorted. "He doesn't even have a real job." Kay blinked at Molly's thick accent, choking back her laugh.

"You should give them a little more credit than that," Kay remarked, holding back her laughter. The whole situation was hysterical to her. She was on a submarine with the world's most popular band, and the band's parents were onboard and expressing that their son's never did anything worthwhile. "Your sons are well loved by almost every person in the entire world. Plus, the market rises and falls to their whims. I'd say they've done something incredible." She let the parents mull over her words while she hastily drank her beverage. She figured she had enough, and it was time to go. And Kay was not one for overstaying her welcome.

Once her drink was empty, she stood from the bar and walked out of the room silently, hearing the murmur of the Dethklok family members begin to rise. Kay smiled and walked away, shaking her head.

"Kay!" a familiar, baritone, female voice called out to her as she got a few halls away from the bar. The blond turned around and saw Amara jogging up to her, smiling ear to ear. This only caused the small blond to smile in return. It had been a while since she saw her friend truly smile. "What are you up to?"

"Just had a couple drinks," Kay replied, pointing her thumb in the vague direction of the bar. Amara nodded in response. "You look very pleased with yourself," came Kay's jab to her friend. Amara smiled wider.

"The doc's with Chelle. He says she's been mending and keeping in nutrients." Kay watched as her friend shifted her feet, unable to stay still. She remembered the countless days after Michelle fell ill and Amara would do nothing but pace and punch walls. It took a long time for Amara to finally settle down a bit, and even smile. That had been around the time that Pickles came around. Kay knew her bob-cut friend was antsy.

"Pent up energy?" Kay questioned, smirking, knowing the answer already. Amara nodded. "Then let's go punch some stuff. I think there's a gym in here, somewhere."

Amara and Kay wandered the sub until they found a nice sized gym, fully equipped with the latest machines. In the back of the gym, there were two doors leading to the locker rooms. The two women walked into the women's locker room, finding that the facility was already fully equipped. They found workout clothes that fit and suited up. Kay was wearing a pair of dark grey shorts with neon blue trim, and a matching sports bra, and tennis shoes that matched, while Amara was wearing black shorts and matching sports bra with lime green trim and matching tennis shoes. Kay pulled her hair up into a bun and the two walked back into the gym.

Almost innately, the two walked over to a set of punching bags. They grabbed a pair of hand guards and strapped them on, and almost immediately began pounding out their frustrations on the giant bags of sand. Both Amara and Kay were not skilled fighters, nor did either of them know the finer techniques, but years of dark pasts and hairy situations forced them to get a basic understanding, and find their hidden strengths.

After a twenty minute pounding warm-up, both girls had a slight sheen of sweat beading down their body. Silently, both began to jog around the gym, building up their cardio. Kay felt her muscles begin to scream at her, calling abuse for lack of constant training. But Kay knew that there was no good time to have a set workout schedule. So, she pushed through the pain, conquering over the threshold, and reveled in the freedom it gave her soul. She wondered why she didn't start working out sooner. She was able to expel all the extra energy, and used her anger and frustration to her advantage.

Next thing Kay knew, she saw a fist come flying at her face from her left. She ducked down, crouching to the ground, and immediately jumped back and stood with her fists up for an attack and to defend. Amara stood in front of her, a dark smile across her features, poised to attack again. Kay smiled in return, ready for the sparing match. She leapt forward, charging at her friend, who easily dodged her first attack. Kay ducked, anticipating a punch from behind after Amara's dodge. Kay swept her foot out as she crouched and knocked Amara's leg out from under her. Amara leapt back as she began to fall to the ground and watched Kay swivel to face her. Amara pushed forward and charged at Kay, sending out a powerful right kick. Kay lifted her arm and braced for the impact, blocking the attack. She pushed Amara's leg away and jabbed her right fist straight at Amara's face. The taller woman blocked the punch, pushing it up and away from her face.

The two continued their assault on each other, landing each blow to the other's block. Kay felt her muscles grow instantly sore, and knew she would have bruises by the end of the night. After what seemed an eternity of sparing for Kay, the two finally came to rest. Amara and Kay stood in front of each other, hands and feet in different fighting stances, chests heaving from exhaustion, sweat dripping from every possible spot on their body. Then, they stood straight up, hands at their sides, and gave each other a bow. As both women straightened from the bow, they began to laugh. Kay remembered the days of their past, living in a house together with nothing to do, her depression only growing worse. Amara had begun to hit her when she saw Kay grow distant. From that grew the sparing matches the two would have in the living room, around the rest of the housemates. Trista had eventually come up to the two, giving them pointers on techniques from what she learned from the Monks. The laughs the girls would share were some of the few that Kay truly cherished. It was a time where she felt alive, even if she was bruised and bleeding. And in this moment in time, it was no different.

Kay truly loved her sparing matches with Amara. Neither of them were skilled fighters, but they didn't care. They only did it for fun.

At the entrance to the gym, the two blondes heard noises, and turned to see what it was. Standing by the doorway was Abigail and the four members of Dethklok. All five were staring at the sweat-drenched women like deer, their mouths gaped open. Pickles and Skwisgaar had their heads cocked to the side, presumably trying to figure out what was going on.

"Are you two… uh… mad?" Nathan questioned.

Amara and Kay looked at each other, smiling, and back at the onlookers. Both girls shook their heads in answer.

"Why were you fighting?" Muderface slurred, his hands crossed over his chest. Kay noted off-handedly that the bassist usually had his arms in that position whenever she was around. Kay looked at Amara, seeing her friend still heaving her chest roughly, completely out of breath. Kay was out of breath as well, but these people were more her friends than they were to the girls.

"Amara and I…" she gasped out, trying to take in a deep breath, feeling her lungs burn and yell at her. "We spar a lot." She couldn't really speak, the burning in her chest too much.

"Get them water," Kay heard Abigail's softened voice command. She saw as Pickles immediately walked to the far side of the gym and grab cups, filling them with water from a water fountain, and rushed them over to Kay and Amara. Kay put aside her dislike of Pickles' obedience to Abigail, desiring the cool liquid that would give her some relief to the burning she felt inside. Almost as fast as she was given the water, it was gone, and Kay was left trying to shake the few remaining drops out of the cup and into her still parched mouth.

"So, you're back out of bed?" Kay managed to get out without gasping for air. Slowly, she lowered herself onto the floor to sit, feeling a wave of lightheadedness hit her. She saw Abigail nod her head, watching as her hand reached out and clung to Nathan's sleeve, as if for support. Kay felt her eyes slightly narrow at her actions. Yet another thing not to trust.

"I figured the more I get out of bed, the faster I can regain my strength." Abigail smiled warmly to Kay and Amara. Beside her, Kay heard Amara grunt, then saw as the short-haired woman silently walked away. Skwisgaar and Murderface jumped aside as Amara brushed past them and out of the gym. Everyone looked after at her departure, most confused, but Kay understood.

"Whats was dems about?" Skwisgaar scoffed. Kay gave a humorless chuckle as she stood from the ground. Beside her, Pickles held out his hand to help her, but she chose to ignore it. She could feel Pickles' scowling at her as she stood up.

"Amara doesn't trust easily," Kay explained. "She's very protective of her family. And her family consists of me, Trista, Michelle, Maggie, Kale, and Kai." She didn't delve deeper into the bond they all held together, and the dark past that created the family. Nor did she want to explain how no one in her family trusted outsiders. But Kay couldn't help but feel like the outsider on this submarine. Kay walked over to the entrance where the others were gathered, feeling Pickles right behind her, his warmth radiating across her back. The sweat that had accumulated had cooled her back off and now it felt cold to the touch, and Pickles' warmth felt soothing. She wanted to lean back onto him, and have his arms wrap around her as he nuzzled her neck and…

Kay shook her head, dispelling her lustful thoughts, feeling her body instantly peek up in temperature. She had a feeling that the heat she was creating was showing on her skin, making her glow red. None of the guys made any move to show they saw a change in Kay, and she knew that they didn't see any. Or if they did, she hoped that they had attributed it to her sparing match only a few minutes ago.

"I think it's time for me to take a shower," Kay offhandedly mentioned, walking past Dethklok and their producer. As she walked down the halls, heading in the direction of her room, she heard shuffling behind her and figured the band was on the move again, helping Abigail walk.

Once back in her room and the door securely closed, Kay leaned on the door, feeling her heart begin to race. She didn't know where it was coming from, nor did she know where those lustful images of Pickles came from. She sighed and shook her head, kicking off the tennis shoes and stripping the sweat drenched clothes off her rapidly cooling body. She turned the stereo in her room on, flipping it to any channel, and lightly padded her way into the bathroom.

While she started up the shower and got her items in order, she heard a song from Dethklok's last released album pound over the speakers. When the song ended, another began. This song was a rock song, from a small band. Kay stepped into the shower, bobbing her head to the beat of the rock song. She had heard it before, a couple days before Selatcia's attack at the concert. There was something familiar about the beat and a couple of the guitar riffs, but she couldn't be too sure. She told herself it was probably the inability of bands nowadays to come up with something original.

While Kay was lathering her hair, another song came across the airwaves. The radio DJ claimed the song to be a very well done mash-up of two popular songs from the two most popular bands. She vaguely heard the radio host say that the mash-up was done by a new and talented DJ, that showed great promise in the world of music. Kay shook her head. There was nothing wrong with DJ's. Kay actually liked techno, and remixes of already created songs were among the most popular for DJ's to use. But to claim a DJ who only put two songs together into one as a great new thing in the world of music, Kay had an issue with that.

Immediately, she heard a guitar riff from one of her songs start this mash-up song. She listening to the song as she rinsed her hair, hearing a little electronica in the song as one of Dethklok's songs began to mix with hers. Kay smiled to herself at how well the whole song sounded. The two songs actually fit together nicely. Dethklok's song was about madness and death, and Half Breed's song was about madness and wanting. She swayed in the shower as she lathered her skin with soap, singing her lyrics and half attempting to growl Nathan's vocals.

Halfway through the song, as Kay stood under the warm spray, the water washing off the piles of soap that clung to her skin, the only parts that flowed in the air were Pickles' intense drumming and Kay's vocals as she sang her part of love and the madness that took over. She felt her face heat up as she imagined Pickles playing his drums and her swaying in front of him, singing into a microphone, her eyes locked to his. The combination was powerful, stirring up all kinds of emotions and feelings inside Kay.

The blond singer thought of the redheaded drummer, having her pinned to a wall, smirking down at her, and a hand on her hip. His emerald eyes smoldered with so many dark thoughts, and Kay wanted to know what those thoughts were. She could feel his hot breath blowing down on her upper chest, making her skin rise with goosebumps. She moaned outwardly, thankful that it was low compared to the sound of the water running. Kay felt her arm move on its own as it slowly trailed a path down her stomach, eventually coming to rest between her legs. A gasp was thrown out of her mouth as her body began to tingle from the slight touch of her fingers. She imagined them to be Pickles', his finger pads rough from years of plucking guitar strings and gripping drum sticks.

Gently, Kay's fingers came to rest upon the folds of her sex and began to slowly rub the lips back and forth. She instantly felt a fire burn to life deep within her and felt it surge through her veins. Her fingers trailed a path of lava as they ran the length of each lip of her sex. As her fingers pressed against the small bead at the joint of the lips, she leaned against the shower wall for support. Before long, her middle finger played at the entrance, between the lips, and finally pushed its way in.

She breathed hard as her finger plunged in deep, the palm of her hand pressed against her clit. Slowly, at first, her finger explored, and was slowly joined by another finger she didn't remember slipping in. Her mind wandered as she thought of the drummer, kneeling above her, not holding her down, but she submitted to him. His dreads fell over his shoulders, and as he leaned down, their tips brushed against her skin. Kay shivered as his dreads dragged across her bare chest and stomach, but gasped and rolled her eyes in the back of her head when she felt him give her a burning kiss on her stomach.

Kay rubbed herself harder and faster, imagining Pickles above her, his fingers running across her body, gripping her, and toying with her sex. She could see him smirk as he teased her, his cock at the entrance of her sex. Another finger joined inside of her as she imagined the redhead above her finally pushing his way inside her, moaning out her name, making her burn for more. Kay's imagination went flying as she felt her body clench and tingling burst throughout her limbs. She whimpered as she felt her body convulse, her sex tighten around her fingers, as she came.

The water the trickled onto her body felt cold at first, compared to the heat her body exhumed. Kay leaned against the wall, under the spray, and panted. She slowly regained her breath as the water washed away her passion. She smiled to herself and chuckled. That infuriating, out of touch drummer invaded her lusting dreams.

She shook her head as she re-lathered her body with soap and quickly rinsed off. Once she was out of the shower, she quickly dried off and found some clothes to wear. It was at about that time that Kay's urges hit, and she rushed down the halls to the kitchen where she knew she could get some coffee and a cigarette. It couldn't come fast enough.

All the while, the image of Pickles face loomed over her mind, and imprinted itself behind her eyelids. She wondered what else the day would throw at her as she took a drag of her cigarette.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch.10

Charles Offdensen had just returned to the command center after taking a lunch break when the warning lights went off. The peace and quiet he had barely been able to enjoy during lunch was completely ripped away from him as a team of Klokateers looked into the issue while he sat back down in his seat. Beside is chair, Ishnifus Meaddle was sitting in a seat Charles ordered for the priest, meditating. The lights and siren didn't seem to disturb the elderly man, and Charles began to wonder if this religious consort was truly meditating like he claimed he would be, or if he were merely asleep. With how little the man ever left the command center, Charles figured Ishnifus may be sleeping.

"Sir," a Klokateer spoke to Charles. "There seems to be structural damage to the rear hull. We'll need to surface and make repairs soon."

Charles sighed, leaning his head in the hand, staring at the monitor that flashed an alert to the part of the sub that was damaged. He sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. This was the last thing he needed. The band was on the run from a homicidal group, bent on revenge, and from a being not from this world. It would be a huge risk for them to surface and dock. But he knew the greater risk would come from not fixing the problem and having the hull burst while in deep sea.

"Go ahead and rise to a decent depth," Charles ordered. "And tell me the closest location we can dock at. Where are we?" On the screen in front of them, a map appeared, with a red dot blinking in the Pacific Ocean to denote their location. The Klokateer next to him pointed on a paper map in his hand to a location they would be making port at. "How long until we reach port?"

"We'll be there tomorrow, sir. We're already making preparations with the team there." Charles nodded to the Klokateer in approval.

"Inform the band and our guests of the events."

The Klokateer nodded and left the room. Beside Charles, Ishnifus finally stirred. Charles looked over to the elder man. Ishnifus blinked his eyes, peering around the room at the cluster of Dethklok employees squandering around, and the flashing red lights that had yet to be ceased. At that moment, the lights finally were turned off, letting the room rest in peace and return to its normal lighting.

"The heart will be tested," the high priest began to speak his riddle. "And a journey to the beginning will take way."

Then, the priest stood from his chair and walked out of the room, leaving Charles to stare after the confusing man, his brows drawn together in skepticism. Charles was not one hundred percent sure Ishnifus was in his right mind. Even after seeing the prophecy with his own eyes, and the events unfold around him, this man was more of an enigma than any other person to exist. Charles just shook his head and sighed once more, focusing back on battle strategies and possible locations for the enemy.

It had been screaming for what seemed an eternity. Kay looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that almost an hour had passed. And it wouldn't stop wailing. Around her, the mothers of the band were cooing and shushing the little imp, but to no avail. The boys of the band sat together, teeth gritting and eyes twitching. Kay could see that their nerves were at wits end, and unless Pickles' nephew would shut up, someone was going to end up in Hell. The blond singer looked over to her closest friends and saw them rolling their heads in annoyance, wanting the little heathen to stop.

The band mothers had checked the diaper numerous times, and tried to feed the little guy, but he wouldn't take anything. Trying to play ended up being a joke, and he had actually just woken up from a nap. But still he wailed. Still he cried. Still, he drove everyone mad. It had gotten so bad, Kale and Kai bolted from the common room the moment they could. It was only after their departure that the families had told everyone to stay so they could all 'bond.' Kay had no idea why her and her friends had to stay, since they weren't part of Dethklok.

Kay looked over to the cluster of women surrounding the source of the infernal ruckus. She saw the mother of the child sitting next to Seth with a bored look in her eyes, smacking her lips while chewing gum. She looked the epitome of white trash, with disheveled clothes and a ponytail at the top of her head. Her eyeshadow was smeared on too thick and dark, and there were gaudy earrings hanging from her ears, pulling the lobes down and stretching them. She sat with the baby in her lap, not doing a thing. And the rest of the mothers simultaneously tried to quiet the child any way they could.

Kay grew more irritated. She felt her eye and her fingers twitch. Instantly, the thought of landing a blow right to the cheek of the good-for-nothing baby carrier flashed across her mind. The singer stood up from her seat and briskly walked over to the group, her hands balled into fists at her side, and her anger seething out from her body. She saw out of the corner of her eye as the girls sat up and watched her every move, intent on intervening the moment things became physical.

The mothers stopped cooing and turned around as Kay walked up behind them. They looked dumbfounded as they stared up at Kay's hate filled features. Kay looked past them, only eyeing the source to the disturbance. The baby's mother didn't even peer up to Kay as she stood in front of her. Kay reached down instantly and snatched the baby from the woman's lap, and turned on a dime, walking away from them and back to her chair.

The tiny blond sat down with the wailing child and cradled him in her arms. He fussed and tried to move around, attempting to break free from her grip. But Kay held him down with a firm grip. Kay saw as the mothers stood up and began to walk over to her. Kay could almost hear herself growling over the screaming baby. But she closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down.

"_Rest your head now, little prince,_

_The day's been long, the road so difficult._

_The joy you brought brings warmth to the night,_

_But now it is time to sleep."_

Kay heard the footsteps of the parents halt as her voice began to carry over the crying, and the child began to settle down at the sound of her voice. Elsewhere in the room, she heard someone standing up and rushing around the room, grabbing something from Skwisgaar. She knew it was the Swede by his vocal protest. He was instantly quieted though, and whatever it was that was taken from him was moved around. Instantly, Kay heard the strum of Skwisgaar's guitar as one of Kay's friends began to play the musical accompaniment to her lullaby.

"_Sleep, sleep, enter to a new land._

_A peaceful land with candy clouds and mermaids swimming._

_Dream of love, expand your heart so._

_Sleep, sleep, and show me in the morning._

_Rest your weary eyes now._

_I will be here when you wake._

_You are never alone,_

_So wipe away your tears."_

Kay vaguely noticed that the baby had quieted down tremendously, only crying as he tried to get out the last of his frustrations. But around them, she noticed that it had gotten remarkably silent, save for the guitar that was playing. Kay smiled. Not for any of the people in the room, but for her memories. They were good ones. Memories she missed.

_Sleep, sleep, enter to a new land,_

_Of Viking ships, and flying fairies._

_Dream of love, your heart knows no bounds._

_Sleep, sleep, and show me in the morning._

_Sleep, sleep, it is not the end._

_I will follow you in these worlds you see._

_Seeing the depth of love you hold so._

_Sleep, sleep, and show me in the morning."_

As the guitar played its last notes, Kay opened her eyes and looked down at the baby cradled in her arms. His eyes were wide with wonder, and his mouth slightly opened into an 'O' shape. In this state, she realized that the little imp was cute. Her smile turned from one for her memories to one for the child in her arms. Kay looked up and saw the mothers standing next to her, their eyes and mouths wide open in shock and amazement. She held the baby out for one of them to take, which Molly obliged, bringing him back to Seth and his wife.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kay saw Trista handing Skwisgaar his Gibson and walking back to the rest of the girls. She had also noted that the four boys of Dethklok had their eyes transfixed on Kay. Even Abigail, who was well enough to sit and join everyone, sitting between Nathan and Pickles, trained her eyes on Kay, in utter amazement. In front of Kay, though, the mothers of the four band members turned to their sons, speaking simultaneously.

"You need to marry her," all four almost yelled to their sons.

Kay almost fell out of her seat, and heard as the girls busted out laughing. It was cackling laughter. Across from her, a bright red blush spread across the faces of the boys in question. No one got a chance to retort the women's comment as the door to the common room opened and a Klokateer came in, grabbing everyone's attention.

"We will be making port," the hooded man stated. "There is structural damage to the submarine. We will be docking in order to make repairs." The Klokateer looked around at everyone, making sure they all understood. At everyone's unspoken question, he continued. "We will be docking at Tokyo Bay. We will arrive tomorrow." He nodded to everyone and left.

Kay noted that everyone began buzzing about being in Tokyo, and what kind of damage the sub had taken. But she and the girls were silent. Kay felt her stomach drop, and what little contents were inside began to roll around, making her feel ill. She could feel a cold sweat begin to creep across her skin, and her mouth kept producing acidic saliva, the precursor to vomit. As dizziness took hold of her head, Kay stood from her chair and walked out of the common room, hearing the loud protests of the families. She didn't care at that point if they hated her. Her focus was on telling Kale.

The halls blurred together, and the floor wobbled. Kay wasn't sure if she was going the right way, or if she was moving at all. She softly heard the muffled voice of a male nearby her. He kept calling out her name. But she had no control of her body at that point. A pair of strong hands gripped her shoulder as her body began to feel weightless. The pounding in her chest rang in her ears, and her breathing was harsh. Kay knew she was taking in oxygen, but it didn't feel like any was being supplied to her body.

She was forced to sit down in a chair, and a blurred figure stood before her. Kay had no idea where she was, or how she had gotten there. The only thing she was aware of was the chair she was sitting in, and the shadowed figure looming over her, speaking to her. His voice was so distant, so muffled, she had no clue what words he was saying. She tried to close her eyes, but found they wouldn't cooperate. So Kay closed her mouth, gulping down the acidic saliva, hoping she wouldn't expel the contents of her stomach. She slowly took a deep breath through her nose, attempting to control something. And so she sat like this for a few minutes, counting the seconds, and breathing deep.

The colors around her began to sharpen and return to their objects, and the sound of her heart beating retreated back to its cage in her chest. Above her, the man standing before Kay put his hands on both cheeks, wiping under her eyes with his thumbs.

"Kay," his deep voice soothed. She looked up to see Kale smiling sadly down at her. "You done freaking out now?" Kay chuckled, closing her eyes, feeling warm moisture drip down. Kale's thumbs caught the drops, wicking them away. She inhaled deep and opened her eyes to her friend again. Luck was on her side for running into him.

"We're headed to Tokyo," Kay's voice shakily proclaimed. "We'll be there tomorrow."

Kale's smile disappeared. She could feel the heat in his hands slip away, and a shake begin to start. He audibly gulped and cleared his throat. Kale's hands fell from her face, down to his sides.

"What are we going to do?" he asked. She could hear him staving off the fear. Kay sat there in front of Kale, thinking of the situation.

"Best thing is to not leave the sub unless we have to. And stay low."

"Do the others know we're headed there?"

"The girls do."

Kale nodded, shifting on his feet. He was antsy. Kay didn't blame him. She was too. They had a day to prepare for their arrival. Kay feared what could happen. It had been many years. And they were times she wanted to forget. Now all she could do was prepare for what would come next.

Kay was coming home.

Pickles noticed that Kay had a habit of freezing up and running away whenever something bad was going on. He watched as she stood from the chair, not seeing anyone in the room anymore, and briskly left the room, much to the protests of his mom and his bandmate's moms. But rather than follow her, like he usually would, he looked over to her friends. Three of the girls sat on a couch together, while one sat in a wheelchair, too weak still to walk on her own. The four of them were huddled close, speaking amongst themselves. Worry was plastered on each of their faces.

"We should go shopping when we get to Tokyo," Nathan's mom suggested, bringing Pickles back to reality. He saw Kay's friends freeze at Rose Explosion's words, then sigh. Pickles was more than curious by their actions, but it appeared they didn't want too much attention on the subject, so he decided it was best to stay silent.

Abigail stood from the couch, looking back at him and Nathan.

"I think I should go back to the infirmary," she said. Pickles and Nathan stood from the couch, and walked the brunette woman out of the room. Pickles told himself that he would have to find Kay and ask her what the situation was all about.

"So, we're all in agreement," Amara whispered to the others while they walked down the halls. She was pushing Michelle's wheelchair, with the sickly woman in it. "We pack up the house and abandon it."

Around her, the girls grew quiet. She understood. It was the last thing any of them wanted. But now was as good a time as any to cover their bases. Simultaneously, the three women around Amara nodded their heads solemnly.

"Maggie, find Kai and inform him of our plans," Amara spoke, taking the initiative in this subject matter. "Trista, find Kay." When Trista looked up at Amara, the taller woman continued. "You know how to help her better than anyone else."

"We should go shopping when we get to Tokyo," the girls heard one of the mothers' proclaim. The four young women froze in that moment and looked up towards the rest of the people in the room. They collectively sighed and watched as the weak brunette, Abigail, stood and ushered the band members of Dethklok to escort her to the infirmary. Amara took this time to look at her friends. Trista shuffled her feet where she stood, nerves taking over. Maggie only looked as if she were merely miffed by the turn of events. Amara knew that Maggie's outward actions didn't match her true feelings though. Michelle sighed again, shifting her weight in the wheelchair she was still bound in. She wasn't well enough to walk on her own yet, though she made great strides.

Amara took a hold of the steering grips on the wheelchair and began walking the ill woman out of the room, headed towards hers. Michelle looked back once to see Amara walking her, and stared straight ahead of her the rest of the journey. The trip to the rooms didn't take long, but droned on in silence, making it feel longer.

"I have enough strength to wheel myself around, you know," Michelle's soft voice trilled as they crossed the threshold to one of the rooms. Amara only smiled in response as she brought the younger woman to her bed. Dethklok's doctor was considerate enough to bring in the medical supplies Michelle needed. The supplies consisted mostly of a couple monitors and an IV.

The two women stopped next to the bed, still silent. Of all the years of their past, they didn't need to speak often to know what was silently being said. Amara walked to the front of the wheelchair and held out her hands to the younger woman, finally getting a good look at her that day. Michelle was from Italy, and her features were prominent with her heritage. Smooth, olive colored skin stretched supplely across her frame. Her hair was a dark brown, full and wavy, cascading down her upper back and shoulders, barely reaching her mid back. Her golden brown eyes were cast to the side, not wanting to look at Amara and show any weakness. Amara stood her ground, though, waiting patiently. After a gentle sigh, Michelle closed her eyes and lifted a slender hand up to Amara's own, her long fingers sending gentle rays of warmth to the other woman's. Amara smiled a little wider to herself as she felt the little callouses on the tips of each of Michelle's fingers. Michelle had opened her eyes, seeing Amara's face, and blushed, pursing her lips together in a huff.

With energy neither women knew she possessed, Michelle rushed up from the wheelchair, sending it rolling back, and turned to the bed. Amara chuckled lightly and leaned down, kissing the lithe woman on the temple. Michelle growled slightly and crawled into the bed, averting her gaze from the tom boy.

"You need anything before I go?" Amara asked gently, reveling in the rise she got from the Italian.

"No," Michelle sighed. In that moment, Amara saw the energy leave the brunette's eyes, and watched as she began to slump down into the bed, exhaustion taking over. Amara smiled, knowing that Michelle's job was to rest and recover.

Silently, the blond tom boy left Michelle to sleep, and wandered down the halls, searching for another old friend.

A short few minutes later, Amara found herself in the dining room with only one other person. She thanked the gods that the other person was Kai.

The freakishly tall Asian sat at the table, huddled over a notebook, scrawling things into it, occasionally sipping a cup of coffee. Amara strode over to him and sat in the chair beside him. Kai never made a motion to acknowledge her presence, but she knew he was aware. She glanced down at the notebook, trying to make out what it was. There were a few doodles at the corners of the page, and small single sentence paragraphs here and there. She reeled back when she saw the main topic of the page. It seemed to be poetry or lyrics, concerning love, and the loss of a love. Amara understood. She sighed to herself and grabbed the notebook from under Kai's hands. Kai jumped back and growled in anger, scowling at the tom boy.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded.

"You're not fooling anyone," Amara calmly countered. She stared Kai in the eyes, letting her rage show a little to counter his. Kai settled down then. "We know you still want her," she spoke softly. Kai averted his gaze to his coffee mug. "We're not stupid. We know the truth. But you're an idiot if you think writing a few love songs will win her back." That comment elicited a glare, but Kai did nothing more. "We're making port in Tokyo," Amara informed the man, who stared at her in confusion. "We're going to pack up the important stuff at the house and leave. Never know if we're going to get attacked." Amara stood from her chair and tossed the notebook onto the table in front of Kai. "Just let her go," she pleaded as she left the dining room.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Metalocalypse or the characters within. The extra characters are of my own creation. I do not condone underage sex, drug abuse, rape, breaking and entering, or theft.

I want to apologize to my readers for the last chapter. I was in such a rush just to be done with the chapter and get it out to you, I forgot to do any disclaimers or P.O.V. breaks.

This is the beginning of what I like to call, the Japan Arc. There will be many twists to come. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Ch.11

Pickles meandered down the halls of the submarine. It was evening time now, and he had just finished eating dinner. Eating had been tense and awkward with the band, their families, and Kay's friends together. Kay's friends were completely silent as they ate, avoiding any conversation and eye contact. Kay and Michelle had been absent from the meal. Pickles noted that Michelle's absence was probably for medical reasons, but Kay had just disappeared. After he and Nathan left Abigail in the infirmary, he walked around the sub, trying to find Kay. It seemed as if no one had seen where she was headed.

As he walked down the halls, muffled sounds of music played through the walls of a room. Pickles stopped and opened the door, revealing yet another random common room.

'_How many fucking common rooms do we have?_' the drummer thought to himself. He was pulled from his thoughts as he saw the blond singer standing in the middle of the room, facing the couches, singing to the music that was played. Her eyes were closed as she sang, and he watched silently as her body swayed and moved to the music, doing a few dance moves and hand motions to emphasize the lyrics. She lightly smiled to herself during the moments she wasn't singing, and swayed her body and her head, letting her long blond hair waft around her body, cascading over her shoulders. It was times like these that made the Irish-American drummer rendered silent and in awe of this seemingly ethereal creature.

When the song Kay sang to ended, the small woman opened her eyes and instantly locked hers with Pickles' eyes. He saw as a blush crept along her cheeks and her lips thinned out in a line. Her chest heaved with her intake of oxygen, rising her breasts out and making them seem larger. The simple, v-neck, black t-shirt she wore clung tightly to her torso, not making the view of her chest any better. At least for Pickles. The drummer felt heat blooming throughout his body as he stared at the lithe blond woman.

Kay cleared her throat, bringing Pickles out of his reverie, and compelled him to speak with her eyes. She walked closer to him, but stopped at a couch and sat on the armrest. She lifted a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for Pickles to talk, though he was transfixed on the woman's every movement.

"You okay?" he finally asked her, hearing his voice a little higher-pitched than normal. He cleared his throat before he continued. "You ran off earlier, and missed dinner." Pickles watched as Kay turned her head away and stared towards a wall. He had the feeling that she wasn't actually looking at the wall, but beyond it, thinking of something else. "Something wrong with Japan?" he asked. He had a feeling it might be their port destination that was the cause of her reactions. Kay's stiffened body was the answer he needed to his question. "What happened?"

Kay looked at him at the corner of her eye, and sighed. She closed her eyes and turned back to Pickles. He waited patiently, letting the woman compose her thoughts. He realized then that he would wait as long as she wanted. He would do anything. His breath hitched in his throat as that thought crossed his mind. Just then, Kay opened her eyes and looked back at him, her eyes glistened as they took control of his, and Pickles found it increasingly difficult to find the ability to breathe again.

"I told you before that I lived in Japan," Kay began. "My only family lives in Tokyo, still. And so does the gang." She looked away from Pickles then. "Kale and I didn't leave on the best of terms. None of us have been back there since Half Breed signed its contract." Kay stood from the couch and walked up next to Pickles, facing the door. "I guess you could say… I'm terrified of returning home." She walked through the door and down the hall after she spoke.

Pickles stood in the common room alone for a few seconds, thinking over her words. His head perked up as he thought of something else. Immediately, he turned from the room and jumped out into the hallway, looking at the retreating woman.

"Why do you always walk away?" he called out to her. He watched as she stopped instantly and stood, frozen, in her spot. "Why do you always walk away from me?" Pickles watched as Kay slowly turned around to face him. Her brows were drawn together in concern, and her eyes were filled with tears about to burst. Her hands balled into fists as she turned her body fully towards the drummer. The blond singer took one hesitant step towards Pickles, then another. Slowly, she trekked her way to stand in front of him, never taking her eyes off him. He could see she struggled to keep her balance, and struggled to keep the tears down. Once she stood a few feet away, the small blond cleared her throat and inhaled deep through her nose.

"Because I'm terrified," she answered with a shaky voice. "Terrified of so much." Pickles placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled, hoping to calm her down.

"You're not terrified of me, are ya?" he questioned. "I'm not that scary." Pickles smirked, and was glad to see Kay smile and give a soft giggle. A blush crossed her cheeks again and she looked away shyly.

"No, not you," she answered. Tentatively, the blond woman lifted her right hand up and placed it on Pickles chest, over his heart. "You are… my friend," she confessed.

Never before had either of them discussed the relation between them. Pickles was never sure what Kay was to him. He knew he wanted her, and he knew he would do anything to spend more time around her, but he didn't know what they were. So, to hear Kay's confession of their relation, and to hear it as if she'd held it in like a dark secret finally being released, it caused emotions to stir inside him.

'_Friends,_' he thought to himself. It wasn't what he would hope for, but he figured it was better than the nothing they were before. And surprisingly, he was glad about this. The smirk that forever took its place on his face changed. Slowly, it evened out and became gentler. He himself knew he rarely smiled a real smile. This was one of those rare times. The drummer found himself enjoying the feeling of a real smile. He knew that if this blond singer could make him smile so easily with so few words, he wanted her around more. As he watched Kay's face, he saw as her smile grew wider and brighter as he smiled.

"Let's grab a drink," the drummer suggested. At Kay's nod, the two walked down the hall side-by-side heading to find the liquor. A dark thought crossed his mind as they walked, thinking of the many drinks they would probably have. A dark thought of stripping the lithe woman's clothes right off her silky smooth skin, and throwing her on his bed, holding her down as she struggled, and taking advantage of her intoxicated, shitfaced state. Pickles looked over at the blond woman in question, seeing her gentle smile, and realized he would have to fight hard tonight to not destroy anything that could be taking place.

* * *

Trista sat in the recording studio with the boys of Dethklok, Knubbler, and Abigail, along with Amara, Michelle, and Maggie. She looked around to the people in the room. Everyone, minus Pickles, seemed to be in perfect moods. Pickles sat on the couch with his bandmates, holding his head in his hand, groaning every so often. Trista smirked to herself, knowing the boy was recovering from a heavy night of drinking. She had passed him in the hall before they came into the recording studio, and when asked, Pickles explained that he and Kay had a few drinks together. Kay, Trista knew, was still asleep in her room, not wanting to be disturbed by anyone.

Trista knew Kay very well, and knew that after a night of drinking like she had, the blond singer would have a terrible hangover, and was terrified of the day ahead.

Yes, that day the submarine would be docking at Tokyo Bay for repairs and restocking. Trista was concerned for her best friend's well-being and sanity.

There were still a few hours before they would reach the harbor. These hours were agony for Trista and her friends. If everything went according to their plan, they would have no issues. But Trista knew they were not so lucky. So, to pass the time, they sat together in the recording studio, trying to forget about the 'impending doom' they saw looming over their heads. Knubbler sat at the helm of the electronics. He pushed buttons and looked at the digital display. Softly, in the background, there was a mix of Dethklok and Half Breed songs playing. The boys talked amongst each other about song ideas, with Abigail interjecting with a few ideas of her own. Trista wanted to laugh at how easy Nathan bent to her whims. Pickles looked like he wanted to stab a fork in his eye. The Swede and the bassist of Dethklok looked comically dejected when their ideas were shot down. Most of those rejected ideas came from the chubby bassist though.

Trista's ears perked up as chords from a guitar began to play, twining with the smooth strokes of a violin. She recognized the song instantly as one of theirs, remembering how Michelle worked even harder to master her arts. After a few seconds, there was a lull in the music, and instantly, a rush of fast peddled drumming and fingering of guitar strings blared. Trista glanced over at her friends, who in turn glanced at her, then to the others in the room. Abigail and the boys grew silent as they heard what could be called Death Metal. Amara's deep voice growled out lyrics, and were softened by Kay's melodic, opera style singing.

"Dis am snots our songs," the Swede proclaimed. Across from him, the girls giggled.

"Wait," Pickles spoke up finally, rising from his hangover crouch. "You guys know how to play Death Metal?" His voice was incredulous and filled with a type of wonder.

"Can't believe that I know how to drum like you do?" Michelle piped up, smirking at the male drummer. Pickles flushed with embarrassment, which only caused Michelle to giggle. "Kay had to teach me."

"What?!" the redhead exclaimed, belying any hint of being ill.

"Kay taught us most of what we know of music," Trista intervened. Everyone turned to her, the boys and Abigail waiting with bated breath for more. "We learned early on that she was something of a music prodigy. She can hear a concept once and be able to play it like a pro. All the music we play is dictated by her. She knows what the song will sound like in her head before she picks up an instrument. The guitar and piano were the first instruments we knew about." Trista paused, looking over at the rest of the girls. They smiled at her in response. "Our 'Death Metal' music was really just a small project. A test; to see if we could, and to try new ideas. We had gone to Italy and watched an opera. That's where she got the idea for some of these songs."

"That girl is really talented," Abigail calmly spoke, her words barely carrying over to the others.

"We had lots of time on our hands," Trista responded. "And there's more to Kay than meets the eye."

* * *

Kay sat cross-legged on the ground in the hanger, staring out the giant glass windows. The submarine had already risen through the water, now gliding on top, and the silhouette of the island country slowly grew in size. She had been sitting in the hanger for a while, and guessed a few hours had passed. She knew that within the next couple more hours, they would arrive at their destination.

Behind her, Kay felt a presence. The person silently walked up beside her and sat on the ground, staring out the window at the approaching city.

"Land of the Rising Sun," Trista's voice wafted. Kay grunted in response, giving a short nod. "It's been a while since we've been home."

The blond singer glanced over to her friend, knowing that Trista was fishing. She stayed silent, though, waiting for Trista to reveal her intent. Beside her, the blonde's best friend smiled softly into the distance of the city, her eyes glimmering, possibly with unshed tears.

"You look ready to run," Trista finally spoke, a little closer to being forthcoming. She was correct though. Kay wore loose flare jeans, a few rips along the legs accentuating a grunge look. A fitted white tank top lay stretched underneath a black midriff tank top with a white painted skull on the front. Her feet were adorned with worn running shoes, dingy from dirt, use, and lack of care; yet comfortable. A plain, light, black jacket rested unzipped over her shoulders. Kay hadn't worried about makeup for her face, and her hair was pulled haphazardly into a low, sloppy bun. She had found a small knapsack, black, and had her necessities within.

Kay blinked at her friends words, then looked back at the city that was coming closer than she would have liked. She inhaled slowly, and exhaled, mulling over her thoughts.

"I am," she responded.

"You want a wig?"

The question came out of left-field to Kay. She sat there, eyes wide in muddled confusion, blinking every few seconds. As the gears in her head finally began to crank again, the singer cracked a small grin, that slowly turned into a smile, which in turn became an open mouthed smile, and laughter began ringing out from her throat. Her eyes closed and she rolled back onto the ground, holding her sides as the giggling and guffawing intensified. Trista joined her in much the same manner.

As the laughter between the two began to die out, the two girls rolled back up to their sitting positions, smiling with remnants of the hilarity they shared, staring at the encroaching metropolis. Kay took a deep breath, breathing it out and loosening up her nerves.

"I think I might need a wig," she responded to the unanswered question before. "I don't know. We'll see, I guess."

"What are you going to do?" Trista questioned, digging for answers.

"Get a couple things I left." Kay offered nothing else in response. She knew Trista was hiding things from her, so she would offer nothing more. She had the distinct feeling that their paths wouldn't cross as is.

The two continued sitting there, staring out of the submarine, feeling dread encompass their beings. For a while, they sat together in silence, not needing to speak. Eventually, as the city grew even closer, and they entered the harbor to a docking station, the other guests aboard the sub began filling in. The families of Dethklok were clumped together, talking about sightseeing and shopping. The members of Dethklok stood together silently. When Amara and Maggie entered the hanger, Trista stood and went over to them, talking low of their plans once the door opened.

Earlier in the day, Charles had a team of Klokateers gather everyone's passports and paperwork, preparing for easy entrance into the nation.

"Kay!" one of the women from Dethklok's families called out to the singer, grabbing her attention. She looked over at the group, who had all turned their attention to her. "You're from Japan, right?" Nathan's mother asked. At Kay's nod, she continued. "Give us a tour of the city!"

Kay already had an answer, but she sat still for a few moments, acting as if she were mulling over the opportunity.

"I can't," she replied, watching the crestfallen expressions form on the masses faces.

"But, we want you to show us around. Find the best places to shop," Molly pleaded. She gave a good attempt at a pitiful expression, making Kay want to laugh.

'_I might be safe in a group,_' she thought to herself. '_They wouldn't look for me in a group of old people._' She sat for a moment and thought about the pros and cons of the situation. Finally, Kay stood with her mind made up and walked up to the group. Oddly enough, Molly had already gotten her hands on a map of the city. Kay took the map and pointed to a location on it.

"Meet me here in about three hours from when we leave. I should be there waiting. If I'm not, don't wait for me." She handed the map back to Molly, seeing the woman raise an eyebrow in question, but not stating it. The older woman produced a pen and circled the location on the map.

Kay walked back to the spot she had been sitting, and waited silently for their final docking procedures to be done. She noted that her feet began twitching and moving, without her permission. Her airways began to feel as if they were tied, and the butterflies in her stomach turned ravenous. She also noted beside her that Pickles had slinked his way over, in a not-so-subtle way.

"Hey Kay," he began quietly. "You wanna, I don't know, hang out in town?" he asked hesitantly. "Together?" he added, rubbing his hand on the back of his head, shrugging his shoulders, and giving a hopeful smile.

Kay sighed.

"I'd like to," she answered, making Pickles smile. "But I have a few things I need to do right now. And I just told your mom I'd show them around town in a few hours." Kay watched as Pickles' smile dropped instantly, his arm dropping to his side.

"Oh," he said. "Well, that's uh… y'know, that's cool. I get it." The drummer turned and took a couple steps away, heading back to his bandmates. Kay sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe after," she said calmly. "We can find something to do."

Pickles turned back around to face her, his eyes open wide and a smile beaming on his face. Kay smiled in return.

The remainder of their time was spent silently, with the exception of the families, as they talked about what they wanted to do and see. Charles entered the hanger with a team of Klokateers, and spoke to everyone gathered in the hanger, but Kay didn't listen to anything he said. She couldn't focus on the man's words even if she had wanted to. She had her mind set and a plan in place. The less attention she could draw, the better.

Her stomach lurched as the doors opened, giving them an opening to the land. As the others filed out in groups, Kay zipped her jacket up and shouldered her knapsack, slinking around the others and darting off quietly into an alleyway.

She weaved in and out of different alleys and streets until she found a train station. As she entered, she glanced around for anything suspicious. At the ticket station, she paid her fee and slinked onto the next available train headed west for Mitaka. As she found a seat on the train, Kay pulled the hood of her jacket over her head, effectively hiding her hair and face from prying eyes. It was no concern of hers whether others on the train thought her to be a creep. The plan was to ride the train until her stop in Mitaka. And she doubted she would move from her spot, possibly feinting sleep.

Kay sat in the corner of the train compartment, leaning her back in the corner and propping a foot onto the seat next to her, glad there was space on the train. The butterflies in her stomach began to fall asleep as a glance around the compartment revealed no one acting suspicious. Kay knew the trip was going to be long, and she wasn't planning on lowering her guard once.

Thirty minutes passed, feeling like an eternity. She hadn't moved from her spot on the train, even during passenger exchanges. Her eyes glanced over every newcomer, viewing them with uncertainty and wary. No one paid her any mind, and even kept their distance. But now, the train came to a halt in Mitaka Station. Kay stood from her seat and walked off the train, weaving between people as she made her way out of the station and onto the streets.

She dared not stay on the streets for long, in case of prying eyes, and blended into the crowds on the street until she found a good back alley to duck into. Her photographic memory started up, making her smile, and Kay found it easy to weave between the main streets and alleyways, remembering her old haunt.

Eventually, she found herself in the suburbs of Mitaka. Decent looking, two-story homes lined the streets with a few apartment buildings she didn't recognize. Most of the homes along her path appeared the same, untouched with time. She vaguely wondered if the same people lived in these homes.

Along her path, she wasn't quite sure whether she was lucky or not to pass by few people. She could only hope no one was watching her from afar and recognized her. Before too long, she came to her target street. She walked along the wall in front of the houses, hugging them to avoid being seen by anyone that may possibly be home. As she neared her destination, she slowed her gaunt, peering around to see if anyone were near. Once in front of the house she came to, she peered at the driveway, not seeing the car.

'_Doesn't mean they're not home,_' she rationalized to herself. Kay peered further into the front yard, looking at the living room window. The blinds were slightly open, enough to see inside, and revealed vacancy of life. The blond took this opportunity to sneak into the yard, walking along the perimeter to the back. A tall fence ran from the edge of the house to the back wall of the property. Silently, Kay climbed over the fence, dropping down to the backyard. She didn't fear running into anyone here, knowing it was as unused now as it had been years ago.

Concrete and gravel created the ground for the backyard, the perimeter of the area lined with soil. Bamboo sprouted from the soil, along with small shrubs, trying to bud with new leaves in the early spring weather. In the center of the area, a wrought iron table with four matching chairs created a centerpiece for the decoration. Yes, the backyard was nothing more than a house decoration. Never used, never treaded on. Kay shook her head as she glanced around, seeing the exact same scene as many years ago.

The young woman walked over to the back of the house, and reached her hand between the crack of the soil and the house foundation. Gently, her fingers glanced over cold metal. Silently as possible, Kay pulled the small metal object out of its hiding place, revealing it to the sun for the first time in ages. The small key glinted in the sun, showing no wear but dirt.

With resolve, Kay walked to the other end of the backyard, and began climbing up the fence and house silently. She balanced herself on a few grooves on the back wall, and the top of the fence as she steadied her hands on the gutter drain. She maneuvered herself in a way that had her leaning from the edge of the house, one foot in another groove in the wall, the other placed on a metal strip on the gutter drain, her hand grasping a hold on the corner of the house, as she reached her other hand out to quietly pry open a window on the second story.

Once the window was open, Kay swung her foot around, getting a hold of the windowsill. Slowly and deliberately, she wormed her way inside the room without a sound. She sat on the sill for a moment, gathering her wits about her and regaining her breath. With any luck, none of the neighbors saw her climbing the wall. Once her breathing became even, and she was sure if anyone were home, they hadn't heard her, she dared to move. Kay looked up around the room, instantly feeling her eyes burn with tears. After all these years, the room was still untouched. An inch layer of dirt coated every surface. Gently, she stood from the windowsill and walked around the room, looking at the soccer bedspread on the twin mattress. A generic wood dresser adorned the wall to the right, facing the bed. Along the surface of the dresser were picture frames, coated in dust. Kay picked up one of the frames, looking at the picture within. Three blond children laughing together as they played in the front yard of a different house.

Unable to control herself, Kay felt the moisture fogging her sight drip down over the threshold and down her heated cheeks. She sniffed as she set the picture back down on the dresser. As much as she wanted to take the photographic memories, she knew it would raise many questions and concerns.

Kay knelt down in front of one of the drawers, softly pulling it out. The clothes that filled the drawer were the same ones from her memories. She rifled through the pants and shirts until she found a box. She pulled it out, looking at it. It was a simple wooden box with a key lock. The blond woman stood and gently placed the box on top of the dresser, pulling out the key she grabbed from the backyard earlier, and sliding the small metal key into the keyhole. The butterflies that had rested earlier flew around full-force then. She was nervous. Not that she thought the item within was gone, but nervous to see it after all these years. She slowly turned the small key and heard the soft 'snick' of the lock releasing. After taking the key out, she gently opened the top of the box, and peered inside for the first time in what seemed an eternity to her.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and her chest tightened as the tears rushed down her cheeks in fervor. Kay wept silently as she closed the box and hugged it to her chest. After relocking the box, she opened her knapsack and placed the box and key inside. She padded towards the room door, wiping the tears from her eyes. Bracing the door, she turned the knob slowly and silently, pulling the door open as she peeked into the rest of the house. The lights were off. Kay placed her ear in the opening, listening for any movement or sound within the house. She could hear nothing.

Still, not wanting to risk anything, she quietly pulled the door open wider and tiptoed down the hallway to another room. She slipped in the room easily enough, but left the doors open for easy escape. Once again, Kay looked around the room, seeing pink floral print sheets on the bed, whitewash walls, and a similar standard dresser with a mirror. The second item she sought wasn't on the dresser this time, but in the closet. She walked over to the closet and quietly pushed the door aside, revealing the contents. A few old girls clothes inside, and old tiny shoes. Kay reached her arm inside and to the right, grasping her hand around the handle of a hard plastic case. She pulled the case out, looking upon the case of a guitar shaped instrument. The lithe blond took the strap on the case and hooked it over her body, letting the case rest upon her back. Quickly, Kay closed the closet door and left the feminine room, closing the door as she tiptoed back into the hallway, but not before a flash of memory passed over her mind. She remembered sitting on that floral print bed, holding the instrument strung to her back in her hands. The door to her room would open occasionally and her young blond brother would shuffle his short legs in and sit on the bed with her, silently crying.

Kay tiptoed down the hallway, entering into the first room, closing the door in place. She padded to the window and twisted around to begin climbing out. As she closed the window in place, she sighed, remembering six months of hell for her and Alex. Her feet and hands deftly found holds easily enough for her to swing down. The moment her feet found the ground, she hastily walked to the other side, jumping over the fence spanning the side of the backyard, and slinked around the edge of the yard, turning back onto the sidewalk and walked back into Mitaka city.

The trip to the Mitaka Station was easy and uneventful, as was the ride on the train back into downtown Tokyo. She had planned this trip well enough to know that once she got into Tokyo City, she would have around fifteen to thirty minutes until the time she told Molly to meet her.

As Kay left the train, she entered the bathroom and opened her knapsack. She was the only one in the restroom, and was thankful, as she took off her old sneakers and pulled out a pair of nice running shoes. She stripped off the black jacket and dumped them into the trash. As a rush of women began entering the restroom, Kay weaved her way between them to get out, and melded with the crowd. She knew she stood out amongst the traditional Asians, but once she left the train station and reached the street, she would be able to see a few gaijin in the streets.

Kay weaved between the masses as she headed to the rendezvous point. Finally, she came to the entrance of the Meiji Shrine. And as if they had ants crawling in their pants, Dethklok and their families were gathered around with five Klokateers surrounding them. If that scene didn't draw attention, Kay didn't know what could. Though, they were in Shibuya, and she planned on showing them a place where them standing out was not a concern. The blond singer walked up to them, pulling the instrument case and knapsack from off her shoulders, walking straight to one of the Klokateers.

"Can you bring these back to the sub for me?" she asked. The Klokateer silently nodded, taking her things and walking off. Kay turned to the others, slightly unnerved that their attention was completely fixated on her. "Hey guys," she spoke. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Collectively, the group muttered out words to the effect of 'it's okay.'

"So, where's ams you goings to be takings us?" Skwisgaar's mother asked in her sultry Swedish accented voice. Kay looked around at the group, then to their surroundings. She figured there would be no harm in a shrine visit.

"Well, if you all want, we can visit the shrine," the blond suggested. She watched as the others turned around to face the torii. "Couldn't hurt asking for luck," she elaborated with a smile.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Metalocalypse or the characters within. The characters outside the show are of my own creation.

I want to apologize to all of my readers for the delay in this chapter. I have not forgotten about this story or any of you. Real life has just gotten a little hectic, and I was waiting for a friend to be able to help me with part of this story, and it took way longer than expected. I am currently working on getting this thing back up and going. I have many plans for this.

Please enjoy! More goodiness to come!

* * *

Ch.12

When she saw most of the group nod in confirmation to the idea of visit the Meiji Shrine, Kay walked ahead of them. She bowed before she passed through the torii. In the corner of her eye, she saw as the rest hesitantly and uncertainly bowed before passing the gate. As they entered the main yard, the blond singer made her way to the water basins. Everyone crowded around the basins.

"Schweet!" Murderface slurred out. "They got Everclear on tap!" The chubby bassist picked up the ladle, filled with the clear liquid and brought it up to his lips, chugging it down. The rest of the boys of Dethklok were about to follow in the same manner, until they saw Kay stare wide eyed. Kay held the wooden ladle in her right hand, pouring the contents onto her left hand, washing away impurity, then exchanged hands, doing the same to her right hand.

Slowly and deliberately, the boys and their families watched Kay, mimicking her moves. She poured more of the clear liquid into her cupped left hand, drinking up the water. She knew the others had swallowed the water. Kay just swished the water around in her mouth real quick, then spit it back out. The ladle she held lifted up vertically, and the remaining contents of purified water washed over the sides. Once turning the ladle over, she placed it back in the spot she picked it up from. She watched as the others tried to complete the small ritual. Once done, they moved away from the water basins.

"Don't speak much, unless you have to," Kay spoke. "It's considerate to be quiet for the other's prayers."

Quietly, the group moved through the temple grounds, stopping before a stand. Kay purchased a talisman. She took the wooden talisman to the wall of hooks, where she found a pen and wrote a wish onto the plaque, then hung it on a hook. Kay immediately turned and walked to the pain temple, dropping a few coins into the offertory box, then bowed twice, then clapped her hands twice, and while her hands were still together from the second clap, she bowed, asking her wish again to the gods.

The group behind her walked around the main temple, admiring the build for a while. Kay took the opportunity to walk back to the talismans, purchasing a smaller talisman, an omamori, for luck. As she was handed the talisman, she wished again her first wish, to find Toki. The wish had barely crossed her mind when another took hold. Instantly, Kay saw Pickles' face in her mind, and her subconscious wanting luck in whatever endeavors the two were about to be in. her eyes widened and a blush spread across her face at the thought. She squelched the thought and hurried back to the others, sure they were done sight-seeing in the shrine.

As if she were able to read their minds, Dethklok and their families waited in the middle of the courtyard as Kay walked up to them smiling. She discreetly pocketed the omamori in her back pocket as she stood before the others.

"Ready to go?" she asked them, already knowing what the answer would be. Hearing their consent, Kay walked the group out of the Meiji Shrine, making sure to bow before the torii. She walked them to the Jingu Bridge, and walked them over, looking back at them over her shoulder and smirking once in a while. Soon enough, young girls and boys wearing lolita, punk, kei, and ganguro surrounded the group. A few groups of girls ran up to Kay, stopping her and the group from progressing, insisting that they take a picture with her. Her blond hair and blue eyes drew the girls to her, and soon they noticed Skwisgaar and his mother as well, flocking to them and snapping pictures.

Kay smiled and laughed. If there was one thing she could count on as a constant in Japan, it was the Japanese's love of people with blond hair and blue eyes. Throughout her childhood, Kay was always mistaken for a gaijin. No matter how much proof she had saying she was truly Asian, it was never enough.

Slowly, the blond singer was able to pull the group further down the bridge until they finally reached their destination. At the other end of the bridge lay Harajuku, one of Kay's old haunting grounds. With the years passed, though, she knew things would be different. The group behind her shuffled their feet, staring around them at the oddly dressed people, and the brightly attractive displays.

Feeling daring, Kay walked up to the mothers and led them into one of the larger lolita stores on the street. They were greeted by two adorable workers in lolita outfits. Without saying a word to the two lolita workers, they began pulling clothing items out and handing them to each of the women Kay brought into the store. Kay walked down the aisles herself and pulled out a few complete lolita outfits.

The employees at the store pushed Molly and Nathan's mom into the dressing rooms to try on the clothes they picked out. After waiting a few minutes, the two women stepped out of the dressing room, looking slightly ridiculous in the outfits. Kay looked around and found purple and brown, curly wigs. She rushed over and grabbed them, fitting them on the two women's heads and placing their lolita hats back on over them.

"Hmm…" Kay muttered to herself as the rest of the group came up, staring bewildered at the women. "If I can do the makeup, it'll look ten times better."

Molly and Nathan's mom rushed back into the dressing rooms, changing back into their regular clothes. Kay took the third dressing room and slipped on her outfits. She stepped out and immediately caught the attention of the whole group.

"Kawaii!" the two lolita employees screamed out. The two clapped their hands, jumping up and down and giggling. Kay blushed and smiled, then blushed even more at the looks she received from Pickles and Skwisgaar.

One of the lolita employees pulled out a camera and the two pranced over to Kay, insisting on pictures, saying they would be featured in the store. Kay posed with them, getting into the role of the lolita, as she used to many years before.

Once the lolita clothes were off and her normal clothes were back on, Kay and the others went to the checkout, purchasing their fun clothes. Kay missed having her closet full of random styles.

The group walked through the streets peering into the many different stores and eyeing the colorful and unique dress styles. Vaguely, Kay felt the presence of another person walking with the already large group. When they were about to leave the streets of Harajuku, she turned around and saw one of the lolita employees hanging off of Murderfaces' arm. She felt her eye twitch in disgust at the sight. The lolita had their arms wrapped around Murderfaces' arm, and beamed up at him in adoration.

Kay walked up to the lolita and tilted her head to the side in confusion. When the cute employee from their first store opened their eyes and looked at her, the lolita's tiny voice squeaked out "Desu Kroku!"

The blond singer's eyes widened for a split second before she stood on Murderfaces' free side and leaned up to him.

"Drop the lolita," she whispered. Muderface looked down at her with confusion and an almost rage expression.

"What makesch you think I would 'drop' thisch beautiful woman," he practically hollered. "Sche obviously knowsch that I'm a schuccheschful muschichian, and only wantsch…"

"That lolita is not a girl," Kay whispered as quickly and silently as she could back to the bassist. Murderface stopped his rant, dead in its tracks, and looked from Kay to the lolita hanging from his arm. After a minute of staring back and forth at both, Murderface finally saw the small clues Kay found, confirming that this lolita beside him was, indeed, not female. The bassist snatched his arm back, and a moment of silence passed by.

Instantly, the lolita began screaming and hollering, throwing curses in Japanese at Murderface, then stormed off back in the direction of the store they worked at. Kay bit her lip hard not to laugh at the lolita's words and Murderfaces' confused expression. Kay walked away, back to the head of the group, and began leading them to the train station, while Murderface stammered and stuttered behind them.

"Whats were wrongs wit dats girls?" Skwisgaar asked over Murderfaces' unintelligible muttering.

"Yeah, dude, she was hot," Pickles spoke up. "What was wrong with her?"

Kay, wanting to at least help Murderface out on the issue at hand, raked her mind over any plausible situation she could come up with instead of the truth.

"Umm…," she began, reaching for something. "She was, uh… she…"

"How the fuck can a guy look like a chick?!" Murderface finally expressed his jumbled thoughts into something coherent. Instantly, Kay's hand smacked on her forehead as the group stopped in their tracks and stared at Murderface.

"Dude, that was a dude?" Pickles asked calmly in the silence that passed over the group. Kay's head lowered, her hand still on her forehead.

"Dats ams sick," Skwisgaar shuttered, folding his arms over his chest, a stern expression taking over his features.

"Well," Kay began, rolling her head up, grasping for something. "Not all guys are into manly, macho things. Some are actually into fashion." All Kay received were blank stares from the parents and the band. "Some guys are gay, but some just like wearing girls' clothes because they're small, and like to freak people out." After her explanation, she received more blank stares and confused expressions. With a sigh, her head lowered once more. "We're going to keep going now."

With hurried footsteps, Kay turned around and walked along the streets toward the train station, her head still lowered. Silence ruled over the group, with Murderface blanched from the earlier situation, muttering to himself. Once at the train station, the blonde singer managed to get the group paid for and situated onto their train headed to Ginza.

Kay was thrilled to be above ground on the streets of Ginza for once in her life. Never before had she ever thought she'd be happy to be in this part of town. All around, Japanese women with pounds of makeup covering their face and preppy clothing that looked as if the price tag contained more than three digits before the decimal walked along the streets, their noses turned up, even more so when they passed by Kay and her group.

"Ginza," Kay introduced. "The 'Rich Bitch' district." She smirked as she looked back at the others, staring in awe of the extravagant buildings that housed extravagant shops.

"We're going there!" the mother's exclaimed at once, pointing in different directions of the city. Kay laughed as the women conversed about their destinations, giving them the lead on which stores they would enter. Store after store, the group shopped in the clothing retail outlets, finding everyday outfits for prices too outrageous to speak. The mothers had all gotten plenty of clothes for extended stays on the submarine, the Klokateers still part of the group holding all the bags with no complaint. Kay took her time, finding tops and bottoms at lower prices, creating ensembles in her mind with each article she picked up. Money was never an issue for Kay, but the prices in Ginza made her head swim still.

Before long, and many stores combed through, the group came to a café, the Klokateer's arms bursting with all the bags they handled. Kay was not given a choice of carrying her own bags, one of the Klokateer's taking away that privilege, freeing her hands for other things, such as more shopping. The group entered the café, ordering drinks. Kay peered around the store, seeing high end tea and coffee for sale in bulk, along with fine tea china sets. Smiling to herself, as she paid for her coffee, she also paid for the bulk boxes of tea and coffee, along with one of the tea china sets she fancied.

The group sat outside, taking up a few tables. Kay pulled out her pack of cigarettes, finding she was running low as she took one and lit it. Her eyes closed as she took her first drag of it, feeling the warmth billow down inside, instantly sending the tips of her fingers and toes tingle. The families began talking amongst themselves about the finds they got. Kay had no intention of telling them that they could get the same clothes for cheaper elsewhere, but Ginza happened to be a nice district and easy access for shopping. Everything they needed or wanted was right here.

Another drag of the cigarette and Kay picked up her coffee, ignoring the pain of searing hot liquid burning her throat as she gulped the mocha. It had been a while since she had last had a mocha, let alone her favorite kind of mocha. She had a small smile as she tasted the white chocolate and peppermint that twined with the bitterness of the coffee and steamed milk. This café was one of the few that used natural ingredients, which made it one of Kay's favorite coffee shops. It was the other reason they came to Ginza. It had been many years since she was here, and she was happy she risked the trip.

Beside her, Kay noticed movement. She jumped, her heart instantly racing, but calmed once she saw it was only a Klokateer bending over to pick up the bag that held her latest purchase. She took another drag of her cigarette and sip of her coffee to calm her nerves. She knew she was safe, and there was nothing to fear. She just had a feeling she couldn't shake, something telling her the day was far from over.

Soon enough, the group began rising from their chairs, ready to head back to the submarine with all their bags, which were held by the willing servants to the band. As Kay rose, she stamped out the end of her cigarette, and held tight to her coffee. The group began to move down the street, heading to the train station. She looked back at the group, seeing satisfied expressions on everyone's face.

"Hey, Kay," the blond heard a familiar, nasally voice call out to her. She saw the red dreadlocked man speed up next to her out of the corner of her eye. "How 'bout that hangin' out time?" he asked, a note of hope in his voice. Kay smiled and giggled, feeling her chest burst with flutters. She thought of a few places the drummer might enjoy.

She opened her mouth, inhaling to respond…

"Koneko!" a voice in the distant yelled. Out of habit, the blond singer turned her head to look to the owner of the voice calling her nickname, and instantly regretted it.

There were two at first, blending in slightly with the rest of the populous. But as Kay's eyes quickly panned around the street, the slight differences between the normal travelers of Ginza, and this group glaring at the blond began to take sharp notice. The two quickly became ten. A curse crossed the singer's mind for not noticing the rags the group of ten were wearing, singling them out amongst the others. Adrenaline shot through Kay's veins, making time slow down as her eyes widened and turned around, launching into a full sprint. Her ears became selective, picking up the sounds of metal being drawn out, and the loud 'clack' of guns being cocked. As Kay began to run, her hand brushed against a warm object and instantly grasped onto it, dragging the object with her as her legs began to pump. Screams belonging to random citizens along the shopping district were muffled in the blond Japanese's ears compared to the guns being pointed in her direction. She vaguely saw the Klokateers still guarding over the rest of the group move into position, drawing out weapons in defense.

Then the gunfire started, and time began to move at its normal pace. Kay was aware of a furious pounding in her chest, throat, and head. Her focus, though, remained on escaping with her life. Swiftly, her feet pounded the asphalt as she weaved between the streets and alleyways, dodging people who called angrily after her. Fearfully, Kay chanced a glance behind her. Her head whipped forward and her face burned red as she realized her hand was gripping the drummer of Dethklok's hand. She hadn't realized she had grabbed him when she began running. That thought was forcefully pushed aside to be dealt with later as the other realization of four gang members with guns in each hand chased after her.

Kay raked her mind for a way to lose the four gang members, and for a safe place to hide. One by one, all of the places Kay used to frequent, or live at crossed her mind, and each one of them got a resounding 'no' from her mental voice. Her eyes glanced around the street for landmarks denoting where they were. As her eyes laid across a street sign, they widened, as realization hit. Kay hadn't realized they had been running for so long.

"Kay," the blond singer heard her running mate wheeze. "I can't… keep running…" Kay instantly felt Pickles begin to slow. Her hand gripped his in a vice grip, pulling him on with resolve.

"Yes you can!" she called back to him. "Just a little more! Keep running!" A distinct growl emanated from behind her. She knew the drummer was completely out of shape and unhealthy, but she would have thought the mere thought of impending doom and death would motivate him.

'_It's possible he doesn't know what's going on, or the severity of the situation,_' Kay's mental voice reasoned. Her eyes narrowed deeper as she pulled out hidden energy within her, forcing her feet to be swifter, and her legs to pump harder, faster. Behind her, Pickles huffed and puffed, yet surprisingly kept pace. Slowly, the two began to pull further ahead of the gang members. Soon enough, after many more streets and sharp turns and shortcuts, Kay and Pickles finally came to rest in a park, thick with foliage, and no gang members in sight.

The two bent over, their hands on their knees, their chests heaving and breath hard. Beside her, the drummer collapsed onto his bum, his legs spread open, and his head tilted to the sky. Kay glanced around the area, taking notice of the lack of people around, smiling.

"I think we lost them," she heaved between breathes.

"What the fuck… was that?!" Pickles exclaimed exasperatedly. His head turned away from the sky as he stared confusedly at the singer. Kay turned away from him and straightened her stance.

"We should be fine if we stay quiet and lay low for a bit," she reasoned.

But Pickles was having none of that, and Kay could tell. The American Irish drummer stood from the ground, gaining his breath back, and stood in front of Kay, his face stern and devoid of his usual smirk. Kay felt herself gulp inaudibly, fearing a rage she had never before seen come from this man before her. She turned her head away from him and sighed, turning her body away.

"It's nothing to worry about," she claimed, beginning to walk onto a nearby path in the park, picking out a destination nearby.

"Kay," Pickles called out low and calm, making Kay's stomach lurch. "We were shot at, and chased. I'm a little worried."

Kay chose to ignore his comment, staying quiet, and walked down the path. She knew Pickles would follow her, not having many other options at the present moment. The park was home to thick, tall trees that blocked the sun, casting a shadowed, emerald glow along the path. Birds chirped sweetly along their trek. It wasn't long before the trees dissipated, and stone pillars lay before them in uniformed lines. Before long, the two stood before three stone pillars. Dried flowers rested before each pillar, and an incense holder held the burnt stick of an old incense. The names upon the three pillars were written in kanji, but Kay was able to read them clear as day.

"What do they say?" Pickles asked. Kay turned to look at him, realizing then that moisture had built up in her eyes. She gave a sheepish grin, willing the tears away, and cleared her throat, thinking of what to say.

"They say…" Kay began with a shaky voice.

"Chotto!" the blond singer heard a familiar voice from the past. She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide in shock. Pickles and Kay turned away from the stone pillars to face two elderly Asians. These two appeared to be the traditional Japanese couple. "Naze koko ni irundeska?" the elderly woman asked sharply. She had grown shorter in the years, and a little stoutly. The elder man beside her stood tall with his shoulders back and his expression drawn in a strict manner. The glasses placed upon his nose only strengthened his serious demeanor.

"Anatano sonzai ga uchino musuko no kioku, kesaretandesu," the strict elder man proclaimed. "Naze koko he modottekitanndesuka?"

"Kokohe watashitachi wo najirini kitandesuka?" the elderly woman professed. Before Kay knew what she was doing, she found herself bowing before these two people.

"Gomennasai," Kay whispered to them, her head bent to the ground. "Murei nado no imi ha arimasen."

"Anata, kazoku wo hajisarashitanndesuyo," the woman growled out. "Anatano sonzai ga kazoku no huwatari ni narunndesu."

"Ima kokokara satte kazokuno tame ni meiyo wo torimodoshitekudasai," the elder man spat.

Kay felt her eyes narrow, and was thankful her head faced the ground, thus obscuring other's view of her features. She deepened her bow and hissed out a command for Pickles to bow to these two as well. Once Pickles hesitantly and insecurely bowed the same as Kay, the blond singer grasped his hand once again and pulled him away. The two walked down a path leading away from the stone pillars and eventually found themselves at a small cul-de-sac in the park. A bench sat in the middle of this opening and was surrounded by thick trees. Kay sat on the bench and looked over at the elderly couple.

In the distance, the two elderly Asians stood before the stone pillars she was previously at, and laid a bouquet of flowers on one of them. Kay felt her eyes narrow as she gave a 'tisk,' and averted her gaze. Beside her, the redheaded drummer stood, shuffling his feet, staring around the area. He mostly looked between Kay and the couple that chased them off.

"So…" Pickles droned on. "What was that about?" When Kay looked up at him, he took a step back, seeing the flickering rage contained in her eyes. Kay could feel it boiling just beneath the surface.

'_Kazoku wo torimodoshite,_' she heard the old man's voice repeat in her mind. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, sighing aloud.

"I'm sorry," Kay offered. She meant it. She had gotten careless and dragged those around her into her problems. She had also forgotten the old routines of the past.

"Kay, we got shot at," Pickles blatantly remarked. "Then two Asians yelled at you, and we ran off. What's going on?"

Kay sighed again, then looked up to Pickles and gave him a sheepish grin, giggling.

"I told you I was in a gang, right?" she asked. She continued at Pickles' nod of confirmation. "Well, as I said before, Kale and I didn't leave of the best of terms. Blade, our leader, wants us dead. Those guys chasing us, they are part of that old gang. They recognized me." Pickles continued to stare at Kay blankly, so she continued. "Those two," she motioned to the elderly couple, who were walking out of the park. "They are my grandparents. The stones we were in front of, they are gravestones. The names of my family are written on them."

"Your parents…" Pickles trailed off, finishing the answer Kay gave him.

"And Alex, my baby brother."

At that moment, a large helicopter hovered low above Kay and Pickles. Five Klokateers rappelled to the ground around them from the helicopter, one of them pulling out a communications receiver, talking into it and explaining that we've been found. Kay knew that it was the end of their little exploration of Tokyo for the day. Kay and Pickles allowed themselves to be strapped in and hoisted into the helicopter and taken to the submarine. Kay, personally, was glad. She was ready for the day to be over.

* * *

"The hell?" Kay questioned as she stood in the doorway to her room on the sub. Inside were boxes filled with who knew what, crammed inside, along with other furniture that she recognized as her own. She turned on her feet, closing her room door, and walked down the halls in search of her friends.

Eventually, she found them in one of the lounge rooms. The whole lot of them were sprawled out in chairs, looking as if death where taking them over. They hadn't even moved when Kay entered the room.

"Mind telling me why my old stuff is currently crammed in my room?" Kay asked curiously to her friends. Trista's head lolled to the side and her eyes slid open, peering at Kay.

"We emptied the house," she garbled out.

"Why?"

"So that none of our memories would be destroyed if we were tracked," Amara explained. Kay's lips pursed together as she nodded in understanding.

"So, how was your day?" Maggie asked, trying to muster interest. Kay chuckled in response, which caused all her friends to look up at her in question.

At that moment, the members of Dethklok, along with Charles, walked into the room. Everyone's attention was diverted to them, and the already dampened mood dropped further at the sight of Charles' expression.

"We need to talk," the band manager spoke. Kay sighed.

"Sorry about today," she tried to apologize. She noted that her friends began to sit up, their interest perked.

"Sorry?" Charles questioned her choice of words. "You nearly got my band and their families killed today!" Kay took a step back at the man's vehement proclamations. Kai stood up from his seat behind them, staring intently at the blond singer.

"Kay, what did you do?" the tall Asian asked cautiously. She turned to her friends, not saying a word, but letting her expression say it all. Instantly, they all knew what had transpired.

"If you decide to leave this sub," Charles began, trying to reign in his emotions, "you will be escorted by a team of Klokateers. This is for everyone's safety. This is definitely not the time to go out gallivanting around the streets unprotected. We have enemies out there, lying in wait for us to slip up."

Kay turned back to the band manager.

"Don't worry," she spoke. "I don't have any plans of returning into town."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Charles questioned, his tone saying there was no room to a 'no' answer.

"Nope," Kay responded in defiance. With a smile, she passed by Charles and the members of Dethklok, exiting the room. Her newest challenge right now was to clear out the room and find a place for her stuff.

* * *

Again, I apologize for the delay in this. One of the reasons for the delay was the Japanese translation a friend of mine helped me with. Here is the conversation between Kay and her grandparents. It's nothing life-altering or revealing, but for those curious as to what exactly was said:

"You!" the blond singer heard a familiar voice from the past. She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide in shock. Pickles and Kay turned away from the stone pillars to face two elderlies Asians. These two appeared to be the traditional Japanese couple. "Why are you here?" the elderly woman asked sharply. She had grown shorter in the years, and a little stoutly. The elder man beside her stood tall with his shoulders back and his expression drawn in a strict manner. The glasses placed upon his nose only strengthened his serious demeanor.  
"You defile our son's memory with your presence," the strict elder man proclaimed. "Why have you come back?"  
"You come to taunt us, don't you?" the elderly woman professed. Before Kay knew what she was doing, she found herself bowing before these two people.  
"I am sorry," Kay whispered to them, her head bent to the ground. "I mean no disrespect."  
"You shame your family again," the woman growled out. "You dishonor your family with your presence."  
"Leave this sacred place. Go find honor. Bring honor back to your family," the elder man spat.  
_'Bring honor back to your family,'_ she heard the old man's voice repeat in her mind. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, sighing aloud.


End file.
